A220: A bright future ahead

More deliveries, more customers, more developments

The challenges 2021 brought to the aviation industry have in turn highlighted the flexibility and efficiency of the Airbus A220, with some major operators, such as Delta, Korean and Air Canada maintaining nearly 100 percent utilization of their fleet even during the worst moments of the pandemic. 

Thanks to its clean-sheet-design and its optimized cross-section, the A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100 to 150 seat market segment, and serves as the ideal complement to the A320 Family.

In 2021, airlines have once again reiterated their confidence in the program, including Qantas selecting the A220 for its domestic operations in Australia, ITA for its European routes out of Italy and Breeze’s order of 20 additional A220s to connect secondary US airports and set the stage for longer flights to South America and Europe.

Flexibility was a key element for operators who had their first A220s delivered in 2021, including JetBlue, Breeze, Air France and AirAustral.

The A220 maintains an exceptionally solid operator base, with more than 690 orders logged from over 25 customers across the world, including leasing companies: ALC ordered 25 additional A220s in 2021, while Azorra and ACG ordered 20 units each in early 2022. 

In terms of Services, the Airbus support network added new A220 services in 2021, with JetBlue signing the first FHS (Flight Hour Service) agreement for Airbus in North America and AirTanzania inked the first FHS contract for Airbus in Africa.

Airbus continues to invest in the A220 platform through the enhancement of MPDs (Maintenance Planning Documents) that will further reduce maintenance costs, and the expanded performance optimization that will improve the aircraft’s capabilities and make it especially suited for the challenging aspects of operating in Latin American airports.

The versatility of the A220 platform also led Airbus to launch the Corporate Jet variant, the ACJ TwoTwenty, which successfully performed its first flight in 2021. With superior cabin comfort for more than 12-hour, non-stop flights, the A220 delivers 25 percent lower CO2 emissions per seat than previous generation aircraft, making it the most efficient aircraft in its category and the perfect option to face the sustainability challenges that lie ahead for the entire aviation sector.

For more information contact:

Sergio Vicente Corral
Airline Marketing Director
sergio.vicente-corral@airbus.com