With the expanded and upgraded runway opening at Manihiki in early 2027, Air Rarotonga has purchased an additional Saab 340B to also serve Manihiki with larger aircrafts. Currently, the airport at Manihiki is served by the Embraer E110 Bandeirante and the Cessna 550 Citation II.
The aircraft will be the third Saab 340 in the fleet, and is expected to be delivered and put into service in October 2026. Prior to delivery, the aircraft will undergo a major overhaul and modification at Bangor International Airport in Maine, USA. The aircraft will have 34 seats, the same as the other two Saab 340B+ in Air Rarotonga’s fleet. The cabin will be retrofitted with new Acro seats, same as on E5-EFS and E5-SMN.
The aircraft had its first flight on 30 May 1991, and has since been operated by Chautauqua Airlines on behalf of USAir Express, Mesaba Airlines on behalf of Northwest Airlink, Colgan Air on behalf of US Airways Express, and finally RAM Air Services. The new registration for the aircraft will be E5-CDM.
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