Cook Islands airline Air Rarotonga has announced the purchase of a 34 passenger Saab 340B from US based C+L Aerospace LLC to bring its fleet of Saabs to three
The aircraft is undergoing major overhaul and modification at C+Ls maintenance facility ir Bangor, Maine, and will include exterior livery along with the installation of Acro passenger seating. Delivery and entry into service in the Cook Islands is expected in October 2026
'The additional Saab 340B will help underpin schedule as well as provide additional seasonal charter capacity" said a spokesperson for the airline. "Flexible and frequent flights to meet demand on the main Aitutaki tourism route along with 100% schedule integrity are our goals. Saabs will also operate to Manihiki in the Northern Cooks in 2027 following the upgrading of the runway. This will be a major step in developing visitor traffic to the remote Northern Group atolls"
Air Rarotonga was established in 1978 and operates to nine Cook Islands airports as well as the regional route to Papeete, Tahiti, which it codeshares with Air Tahiti. The Company's subsidiaries operate iet charter throughout the South Pacific islands, airline ground handling and FBO services at Rarotonga International Airport.
The new aircraft will join Saab 340B E5-SMW which joined the fleet in July 2018, and Saab 340B E5-EFS which joined the fleet in October 2019. The Air Rarotonga Saabs are the mainstay of the Rarotonga - Aitutaki service, and also flights to Tahiti. Once the new sealed runway at Manihiki (MHX) is completed, Air Rarotonga will deploy the Saab instead of the current Embraer Bandeirante.
Congrats Ewan and the Air Raro Team!
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