• Air Algérie will receive its first Airbus A330-900 on November 12, marking the start of a fleet renewal plan involving 18 new aircraft.
• The delivery was delayed by global production setbacks, affecting airlines worldwide and contributing to $11 billion in projected losses for the civil aviation industry, according to IATA.
• The airline plans to expand routes across Africa and Asia, with new destinations including N’Djamena, Addis Ababa, Libreville, Luanda, Rotterdam, and Guangzhou.

Air Algérie will receive the first aircraft from its current order book by mid-November, Chief Executive Officer Hamza Benhamouda said on Tuesday. The Airbus A330-900, expected to arrive on November 12 at Algiers International Airport, marks the beginning of the airline’s major fleet renewal plan announced in 2023.

The program, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, includes the acquisition of 18 new planes as part of Air Algérie’s strategy to modernize its fleet, boost capacity, and expand its international network.

The first deliveries, initially scheduled for early Q2 2025, were pushed to November due to aircraft production delays affecting the global aviation sector. Algerian media cited airline officials blaming the bottlenecks at major manufacturers for the late arrival.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), production and supply chain disruptions have had widespread consequences, with estimated industry losses reaching $11 billion in 2025.

Benhamouda said three more A330-900s will join the fleet before the end of 2025. In 2026, Air Algérie expects additional widebodies and the first ATR 72-600 turboprops for its new subsidiary Domestic Airlines, created to strengthen domestic connections. The Boeing 737 Max-9 deliveries are scheduled to start in 2027.

Air Algérie’s renewal plan aligns with its broader expansion strategy to double its African network by 2028. On October 21, the company launched a new Algiers–N’Djamena route, with further services planned to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Libreville (Gabon), and Luanda (Angola).

For long-haul operations, Air Algérie is preparing to open new routes to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Guangzhou (China), targeting stronger connectivity between North Africa, Europe, and Asia.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum