AIR Rarotonga will soon replace its Saab 340A aircraft with a later model Saab 340B Plus due to arrive in the country in May.
The airline said while externally similar, the 340B Plus has more powerful engines, carries more payload, and has an active noise control system that significantly improves passenger comfort.
The outgoing Saab 340A entered service in 2000 and has provided the backbone of the airline’s schedule between Rarotonga and Aitutaki carrying more than a million inter-island passengers in that time.
Air Rarotonga’s Ewan Smith paid tribute to the 340A saying it had been in operation for almost 20 years and it had been a reliable workhorse.
Mr Smith said he expected similar performance from the new aircraft.
