TAAG Signs Engine Maintenance Deal with Pratt & Whitney

TAAG Angola Airlines has signed a six-year engine maintenance agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada for the airline’s 13 PW150A engines which power their fleet of Dash 8-400 regional turboprops, with one spare engine kept in inventory.

The agreement, is a Fleet Management™ Program (FMP™) which allows Pratt & Whitney to tailor coverage to meet the airline’s particular operating environment.

“TAAG is a key domestic and international carrier serving Angola and beyond,” says Irene Makris, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Airlines that provide regional connectivity such as TAAG play a vital role in helping customers travel to major urban centers, often for connections to international destinations.

Consequently, the dispatch reliability of regional aircraft such as TAAG’s fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft plays a critical role in keeping the entire ecosystem operating efficiently and economically. Having the fleet’s engines maintained by the OEM helps ensure optimal aircraft availability and engine asset management.”

“With a roughly 75-passenger capacity, optimal fuel efficiency, and overall reliability, the PW150A-powered Dash 8-400 is ideal for our needs,” says Nelson de Oliveira, CEO, TAAG Airlines. “P&WC’s FMP program is ideal for us as we can rely on the proven expertise of the engine OEM to ensure we gain maximum productivity and efficiency from our PW150A engines.”

FMPs are flexible, high-value maintenance planning solutions that lower operating costs and simplify fleet operations management.

Tailored to suit the unique requirements of fleet operators and airlines, P&W’s FMPs allow customers to focus on their core business and eliminate the overhead and logistical challenges of operating a maintenance facility.

In TAAG’s case, the FMP includes Pratt & Whitney’s proprietary oil-analysis technology and its FAST™ diagnostic and prognostic solution which captures, analyzes and wirelessly sends full-flight data intelligence to the customer within minutes of engine shutdown.

The PW100/PW150 engine family powers 90% of 30- to 90-passenger regional turboprop aircraft operating today. These turboprop engines consume 25 to 40% less fuel and produce 50% fewer CO2 emissions than similar-sized regional jets. The engines offer airlines the best life cycle costs and help sustain an aircraft’s value. In 2024, the engine family is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its entry into service.