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Airbus on July 12 marked the delivery of its 220th A220 aircraft, approximately six years after the premiere in June 2016. This is a true success story for the aircraft developed and assembled in Quebec, at Airbus Canada’s Mirabel headquarters, and whose footprint has also expanded to the United States with the addition of a second assembly site.
The 220th A220 – an A220-300 – was recently delivered to JetBlue, the largest A220 customer with 100 A220s on order and already 10 in service. Beyond a symbol, the 220th A220 marks an important milestone for Airbus and its successful single-aisle Family six years after the first aircraft – an A220-100 – was handed over to the Programme’s launch operator SWISS International Air Lines.
A game-changing aircraft for operators
Six years later, the A220 continuously attracts operators and passengers, offering both high flexibility – from 30 minutes to seven hours flights – and efficiency – with 25% less fuel burn & CO2 emissions and 50% less noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. And many airlines across the world including Air Canada, Air France and JetBlue have selected the A220 to reach their environmental targets, as part of a collective effort to lead the aerospace industry’s decarbonisation journey. To date, the A220 Family proudly flies in the liveries of more than 15 airlines on over 700 routes and 300 destinations worldwide.
“If 25 customers have ordered more than 760 A220 aircraft to date, it’s because it’s the best aircraft in its category, the one that allows them to be more efficient in their operations and reduce their carbon footprint. Today, 220 A220s are sporting our expertise around the world and have carried over 60 million passengers. We have a lot to be proud of. ” – Benoît Schultz, Airbus Canada CEO.
Opening new horizons for passengers
In the last six years, the A220 has been able to unlock numerous routes for passengers from North America to Asia Pacific, Africa and Europe, connecting around 60 millions passengers who enjoyed a bright cabin with large panoramic windows, wider seats, offering them superior comfort and personal space. On the North American continent, where the A220 is headquartered and built, airlines such as JetBlue, Breeze Airways, Air Canada and Delta Air Lines, have always been focused on the passenger experience, and the A220 fits perfectly with that philosophy by offering true widebody comfort in a single-aisle aircraft. This is also the case in Europe with Latvia-based airBaltic which has been flying an exclusive A220-300 fleet since 2020 and has made the A220 its operation backbone offering passengers a unique flying experience. In the U.S., the A220 is also highly appreciated for providing non-stop service between underserved routes at affordable fares, offering point-to-point flights from smaller secondary airports, and bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.
Meeting the growing demand
With an A220 order book that has more than doubled since 2018, Airbus is expanding its industrial footprint to support the increasing demand for the A220. In addition to the headquartered final assembly line (FAL) in Mirabel, Canada, Airbus extended its A220 assembly capacity to the U.S.-based A320 FAL located in Mobile, Alabama in January 2019. More recently, Mirabel welcomed an additional pre-assembly line, becoming the first Airbus pre-FAL located outside of Europe. This expansion will allow Airbus to more than double the current A220 production rates to 14 aircraft per month by the middle of this decade and meet a market need estimated to represent at least 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years, namely due to the current acceleration in aging aircraft fleet replacement needs. The A220 has taken off and is on a path to great success, flying towards an exciting future, one that Airbus Teams around the world are committed to!
This press release was prepared and distributed by Airbus
