DALLAS — Today, TAAG Angola Airlines (DT), the national carrier of the Republic of Angola, announced that it will order GEnx-1B engines for its Boeing 787 fleet. The announcement comes a month after DT announced it ordered four new Boeing 787 Dreamliners to enhance its widebody fleet and is in line with its long-term expansion plans.

The order was announced on the third day of the Dubai Airshow in a ceremony between TAAG Angola Airlines Chief Executive Officer Eduardo Fairen and Russell Stokes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Engines & Services at General Electric (GE) Aerospace.

TAAG CEO Eduardo Fairen noted the importance of this order, stating, "We are pleased to continue to grow our relationship with GE Aerospace. This agreement shows our continued dedication to modernizing our fleet with more efficient equipment while providing our customers with an improved flight experience."

In total, DT ordered eight GEnx-1B engines and one spare to power their fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft. In addition to placing an order, TAAG has also entered into a TrueChoice services agreement with GE. This agreement specifically covers their fleet of five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that are equipped with GE90 engines.

As part of this agreement, GE Aerospace will provide support to TAAG by handling component repairs, supplying spare parts, and facilitating upgrades with used serviceable parts for their GE90 engines.

TAAG's 787

In October, DT announced it had ordered four Boeing 787 aircraft as the airline looked to progressively renew its long-haul fleet, consisting of five Boeing 777-300ERs and three Boeing 777-200ERs. The Luanda-based carrier told Airways that the Dreamliner order comprises two Boeing 787-9 and two Boeing 787-10 under a sale and lease-back option. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered as early as August 2024.

The 787 will enable TAAG to boost its operations on various long-haul routes across its network. The airline has stated that they chose the Dreamliner aircraft due to its fuel efficiency coupled with cutting-edge technology. TAAG, which has been a loyal Boeing customer for decades, received its first Dreamliner order. With the 787 order, TAAG joined several African airlines operating the Dreamliner. Moreover, DT will become the continent's first Boeing 787-10 variant operator.

According to Boeing, the African continent will need 1,025 airplanes over the next two decades. This is coupled with the fact that air travel growth in Africa is forecasted at 7.4%, above the global average of 6.1%. Furthermore, the continent's forecast is the third-highest global region.

General Electric's GEnx-1B powers two out of every Boeing 787 aircraft in service. Like all other GE Aerospace engines, GEnx can fly on approved Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blends today. Since entry into service in 2011, the GEnx family has had over 50 million flight hours and has become the fastest-selling engine in GE history, with almost 3,000 engines in service.

Featured image: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in house colors. Photo: Brandon Farris/Airways