A rebranded Bombarbier aircraft
The Airbus A220 was originally built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace and entered commercial service on July 15, 2016, under the name Bombardier CSeries. It is declined in two version: the 110-seat CS100 and the CS300 of 135 places. Bombardier’s original goal was to expand its CRJ regional jet range to more than 100-seat aircraft to compete with the smaller Boeing and Airbus models.
However, significant financial issues led Bombarbier to seek a partnership with Airbus, which acquired a 50.01% majority stake in the CSeries in 2017. As a result, on July 10 2018, the CS100 and CS300 were rebranded as Airbus A220-100 and A220-300.
Price of the Airbus A220
The airbus A220-300 costs 91.5 million dollars, while the smaller A220-100 costs 81 million dollars. Thus, the A220 is the least expensive aircraft sold by Airbus.
Price of Airbus aircraft, according to Airbus:
A220-100: US$81 million
A220-300:US$91.5 million
A318: :US$77.4 million
A319:US$92.3 million
A320:US$101.0 million
A321:US$118.3 million
A319neo:US$101.5 million
A320neo: US$110.6 million
A321neo:US$129.5 million
A330-200:US$238.5 million
A330-800 (neo):US$259.9 million
A330-200 Freighter:US$241.7 million
A330-300:US$264.2 million
A330-900 (neo):US$296.4 million
A350-800:US$280.6 million
A350-900:US$ 317.4 million
A350-1000:US$366.5 million
A380:US$445.6 million
In January 2018, two low-cost companies, Moxy and JetBlue, ordered 120 A220. In total, in 2018, Airbus sold 135 A220s, out of more than 500 aircraft sold that year. For now, the company’s order book surpasses 537 aircraft bought by 19 airlines, including Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Korean Air and Air Tanzania.
First flight of the Airbus A220
The first flight of the CS100 (now called Airbus A220-100) took place on September 16, 2013 at Montreal-Mirabel International Airport. The larger version of the A220, the CS300 (now called Airbus A220-300), first flight took off on February 27, 2015 from the same location. On October 26, 2018, Delta Air Lines was the first customer to receive the CS100 in North America, and launched its first commercial flight on February 7 2019.
Capacity of the Airbus A220
The Airbus A220-100, which is the smallest Airbus A220, can seat about between 130 and 160 passengers, while the larger A220-300 can carry between 130 and 140 passengers.
The A220-300 is configured as a 3-2 configured cabin. Three seats on one side and two on the other. This is a first for Airbus’ A320 lineup, which is traditionally configured on a 3-3. This is because the cabin has a much smaller width than the A320 (3.28 meters vs 3.70 meters). The A220-300 compensates by being 3.7 meters longer than the A319 (27.5 meters vs 23.8 meters) for the same capacity. The A220-100 is also 2.32 meters longer than the A318 (the smallest Airbus).
Range and fuel consumption of the Airbus A220
The A220-300 can fly for 5,920 kms without any stopover, while the smaller A220-100 can fly for 5,460 kms. This menas that the A220 will be able to connect London to New York and Los Angeles to Honolulu.
The advanced aerodynamics of the A220-300 combined with a PW1500G turbofan engine designed by Pratt & Whitney PurePower, led to a reduction of 20% of the fuel consumption per seat, compared to previous generation aircraft. It also generates lower emissions than previous generation aircraft, making it a truly eco-friendly aircraft.
Interior of the Airbus A220
The Airbus A220 cabin has been specifically designed to provide the best passenger experience. According to Airbus, the A220 offers its passengers the lowest noise levels of any commercial jet in production.
The oversized seats combined with the spacious storage area create an uncompromising personal space. The A220 offers more space than a traditional regional aircraft. For example, you can stand up without fearing to touch the ceiling.
Toilets are accessible to passengers with reduced mobility (PRM) and offer a window, making them a unique “bathroom with a view” experience.
Easy to use, the cabin management system allows crews to have a great deal of control over the aircraft’s interior environment, particularly in terms of entertainment services and lighting, in order to ensure an excellent experience.
Like the smaller A220-100 model, the A220-300’s configurable cab offers two flexible zones, allowing operators to benefit from a modular cabin with fully customizable elements called monuments. Storage areas and partitions are also customizable elements, depending on the specific needs of operators.
Airbus A220 cockpit
The cockpit of the A220 is typical of a Bombarbier aircraft. It boasts electric flight controls, large screens and a side mini-stick, which is the first for Bombarbier. In terms of steering, the cockpit of the A220 has some similarities with other aircraft in the Airbus range.
Julia has lived in five different countries during the last 10 years and have biked, hiked and traveled in more than 40 countries. She loves writing about beautiful vacation spots and untapped destinations.
