Air Algerie Takes Delivery Of First A330-900Neo

Intro

Anything Africa-related, you can expect me to be excited, and even moreso when you find out there is now a new operator utilizing an A330-900Neo. I've gotta say, this addition is going to be an interesting one, especially with the current state of Air Algerie.

The Details

As of a few days ago, the flag carrier of Algeria, Air Algerie, has just taken delivery of its first A330-900Neo. While the airline currently has 9 more on order, that are set to be delivered in the next few years, these aircraft will upgrade their long-haul fleet tremendously.

Air Algerie opted for the A330-900Neo for its future

The interesting part of this order is that not much was shared. At the moment, the airline currently has eight A330s in their fleet, which are roughly 17 years old on average. Considering these aircraft can last well beyond 25 years (look at GA, wow), one has to wonder if the airline plans on replacing the older A330s or use these new frames to expand?

My guess is expand, due to how limited the market is in Algeria. As a reference, this is the current route map for Air Algerie:

Additionally, videos have been leaked showing that the new cabins feature 18 seats in a staggered layout in business, while premium economy and economy cabins look brand spanking new.

The Debut Route

The new cabins don't interest me much, actually, as one would expect a new A330-900Neo to have updated seats in economy and lie-flat seats in business. What interests me the most is what Air Algerie has decided to do for their first A330-900Neo route.

Usually, airlines will run short-haul routes with widebody aircraft for crew familiarization, but it seems the flag carrier of Algeria is diving right in by offering their newest aircraft on their longest route, 1x weekly. At the moment, the schedule is showing the Thursday rotation to utilize the A330-900Neo to Beijing, while the Sunday and Tuesday schedule is set to use the A330-200.

Peculiar, no? Ghunagzhou seems like the next route to get it 3x weekly as of December.

Final Thoughts

2 days ago, Air Algerie just took delivery of their first of ten A330-900Neos. With lie-flat seats and beautiful-looking economy seats, this will be a much-needed upgrade for the airline. However, after doing about 30 minutes of research, it seems that the first route to get this new frame will be Beijing, followed by Guangzhou. If anyone has any input as to why China seems to be getting these Neos, I would love to hear it.