Akwa Ibom state government-owned airline in Nigeria, Ibom Air has signed a firm order for ten (10) A220s at the Dubai Airshow. The signing was done by Mfon Udom, the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, and Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International in the presence of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.
Nigeria, with the largest population in Africa and the largest GDP, offers substantial growth potential in both domestic and regional travel. The A220 is therefore the ideal choice for a full range of services from very short-haul segments to intra-continental air routes.
“It gives me great pleasure to be here to announce Ibom Air’s order for 10 Airbus A220s”, said Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom. “As an organization, we at Ibom Air are delighted with the steep growth we have achieved in just over two and a half years since we commenced operations, a growth chiefly driven by the massive embrace of our product and brand by the Nigerian domestic flying public. The addition of the A220 to our fleet will support our growth strategy and boost operational efficiency. It will also offer our passengers more space and enhanced cabin experience, as a value add for choosing us.”
“The A220 will allow us to increase the number of annual passengers through Akwa Ibom Airport, in Uyo, thus bringing more first-time visitors and business travellers to the region. These efforts reflect our commitment to supporting local commerce and making a positive contribution to socio-economic growth in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.” said the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel.
Air France has received its first A220-300 from an order for 60 aircraft of the type, the largest A220 order from a European carrier. The aircraft was delivered from Airbus’ final assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada and officially unveiled to the public during a ceremony held at Paris Charles-De-Gaulle Airport.
The A220 is the most efficient and flexible aircraft in the 100 to 150 seat market segment today. The renewal of the Air France single-aisle fleet with this latest generation aircraft will increase efficiency along with customer comfort and support Air France to meet its environmental goals and sustainability objectives.
The first Air France A220-300 will be operated on its medium-haul network from the 2021 winter season. Currently, Air France operates a fleet of 136 Airbus aircraft. Air France is also renewing its long-haul fleet, and has already taken delivery of 11 A350s out of an order of 38.
The Air France A220-300 cabin is configured in a single-class layout to comfortably welcome 148 passengers. Offering superior single-aisle comfort, with the widest leather seats, largest windows and up to 20% more overhead stowage space per passenger, the Air France A220 also features full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin and two USB sockets at each passenger seat.
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation geared turbofan engines. With a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km), the A220 gives airlines added operational flexibility. The A220 delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous generation aircraft - making the A220 a good neighbour around airports.
As of the end of August, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 11 operators worldwide.
On board the aircraft, up to eight rows of seats can be dedicated to customers travelling in the Business cabin. Located at the front of the aircraft, passengers in this cabin enjoy priority boarding and disembarkation. For greater comfort, privacy and space, a movable curtain isolates the cabin, where each customer has a seat left free beside them.
The catering offer is adapted to the flight time and depends on the time of departure. In the Business cabin, each customer is served a generous breakfast or meal with warm bread. Champagne, wine and a
wide selection of hot and cold drinks are also available. In the Economy cabin, biscuits or sandwiches including a vegetarian choice are available.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are also offered. In all cabins, passengers on the Airbus A220-300 enjoy Air France Connect, the airline’s inflight Wi-Fi service. Thanks to the aircraft’s Wi-Fi network, which is available throughout the flight, customers can easily stay connected from their personal devices. The Air France Connect portal offers them three passes according to their needs, including one that is free of charge and allows them to send and receive messages during the flight.
Customers can also find all the information related to their flight and their connections. In addition, thanks to the Air France Play app, customers can download a wide selection of newspapers and magazines onto their smartphone or tablet up to 30 hours before departure.
As of 31 October 2021, Air France customers will be able to enjoy the comfort on board the Airbus A220-300 on flights to Berlin (Germany), Barcelona and Madrid (Spain), Milan-Linate and Venice (Italy). Throughout the 2021-2022 winter season, the aircraft will gradually extend its network to include Bologna and Rome (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Copenhagen (Denmark).
A220 Family aircraft have been specifically designed for the 100-150 seat market, resulting in efficiencies inherent in purpose-built aircraft, and an unmatched environmental scorecard. What’s more, the A220-100 and A220-300 have over 99% parts commonality, as well as the same pilot type rating, facilitating the family’s addition to any airline’s fleet.
A220 Family jetliners were designed using state-of-the-art computational aerodynamics combined with 21st century supercomputing capability; the result is a family of aircraft with optimal aerodynamic performance and efficiency. Powering the aircraft are twin Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G geared turbofan engines specifically designed for the A220. With a bypass ratio of 12:1 – one of the highest of any turbofan engine in the world – the aircraft features 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation aircraft, half the noise footprint, and decreased emissions.
Together, the A220 Family represents the most efficient aircraft in the skies in their class, with low operating costs and low noise levels. This makes the A220 Family aircraft ideal for urban operations and noise-sensitive airports.
A220 Family aircraft are designed to deliver the feel of a wide-body jetliner in a single-aisle aircraft. The cabin provides space where it matters the most, leading to an unparalleled passenger experience.
Overhead bins, with the largest stowage capacity in their class, are easily accessible. The extra-large windows with more than one at each row, are positioned high on the cabin sidewall to provide an optimal viewing angle and an abundance of natural light. Wide seats –18 inches or more – provide a generous personal space without compromise, and the newly designed engines contribute to the quietest cabin in its class.
The A220 lower deck cargo hold boasts a wide flat floor and vertical sidewalls for efficient stacking, which result in a significantly higher usable volume than the competition.
Whilst many other European airlines are contracting, consolidating and reducing, the Riga based airBatlic is rapidly growing. On 16th September the airline had its sixth aircraft delivery of the year and its 31st Airbus A220 aircraft.
This jet, registered as YL-ABE, forms part of an order of 50 Airbus A220-300 airBaltic made with Airbus, which also has options for 30 more aircraft.
Since the introduction of the Airbus A220-300 aircraft in late 2016, airBaltic has carried over 6 505 932 passengers on the aircraft. Thus far, most passengers have been carried to such destinations as Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Moscow. Airbus A220-300’s have completed over 78 246 flights and flown over 175 312 block hours.
Since May 2020, airBaltic operates all its flights with a single aircraft type – Airbus A220-300, thus minimizing the complexity and benefiting from the additional efficiency provided by the aircraft.
Breeze Airways has revealed its new A220-300 livery, while confirming that it has reached a purchase agreement with Airbus for 20 more of the aircraft. This previously undisclosed order for 20 brings Breeze’s total order book to 80 A220-300s, the first of which will be delivered in Q4 2021.
The aircraft’s fresh paint job was completed at Airbus’ facility in Mobile, Alabama, which will deliver approximately one A220 per month to Breeze over the next six-and-a-half years. The airline plans to begin flights with the Airbus fleet in the second quarter of 2022.
The A220 superior efficiency will support the new airline’s business objectives to offer a great travel experience, with low fares and high flexibility. Breeze is expected to provide nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares.
Breeze started airline operations in May 2021. This first A220 is the first new aircraft that will be operated by the airline.
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Benefitting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint and up to 25% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for urban operations.
Over 170 A220s have been delivered to ten operators in Asia, North Americas, Europe, and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.
The Latvian airline airBaltic welcomed its 29th Airbus A220-300 jet on 22 August on a long-term lease from Aviation Capital Group. This is the fourth A220 aircraft to be leased by ACG to airBaltic as part of a sale and leaseback transaction between ACG and the airline. The jet, registered as YL-ABC is the fourth out of seven planned Airbus A220-300 aircraft deliveries for airBaltic in 2021.
This aircraft is a part of the 50 Airbus A220-300 which airBaltic has ordered. In addition, airBaltic holds 30 options and purchase rights for the same aircraft type.
The Airbus A220-300 has performed beyond the company’s expectations, delivering better overall performance, fuel efficiency and convenience for both passengers and the staff. This aircraft offers an excellent flying experience with such benefits for passengers as wider seats, larger windows, more hand luggage space in the cabin, improved lavatories and much more.
The first of the three A220s for Air Austral, France’s La Réunion Island-based airline, has been delivered from the Airbus A220 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Mirabel, Canada. The second and third aircraft are expected to join the Air Austral fleet in the coming days.
Airbus is delighted to welcome Air Austral as a new Airbus customer and operator. This A220 will be the first of the type to be operated by a French airline in the Indian Ocean region.
Air Austral has selected the Airbus A220-300 as part of its medium and short-haul fleet modernisation plan in order to boost its operational efficiency, offering an enhanced passenger experience in a comfortable two-class cabin layout with 132 seats: 12 in business class and 120 in economy-class.
Bearing the airline’s distinctive livery representing La Reunion Island’s beautiful landscapes, Air Austral will strengthen its regional network with three A220-300s, flying on routes between La Réunion Island and Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, South Africa, Madagascar, and as far as India.
Powered by latest-generation geared turbofan engines, Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G, the A220 is the quietest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. The aircraft features a 50% reduced noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft, 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat as well as 50% lower NOx emissions than current industry standards.
To date over 160 A220s have been delivered, operating routes in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ new generation single-aisle family member.
Air Canada's newest domestic route with the only non-stop service between Montreal and Kelowna was celebrated at Kelowna International Airport today. The flights operate three times weekly, increasing to four times in mid-July and five times in August. Customers will enjoy Air Canada's fuel-efficient Airbus A220-300 fleet featuring Business Class and Economy cabins, a modernized in-flight entertainment system with hours of complementary entertainment available at every seat, onboard Wi-Fi and more.
This new route adds to the significant impact Air Canada has on the local economy and that of the province of British Columbia as a whole. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Canada contributed approximately $2.2 billion to BC's GDP, annually. Additionally, Kelowna is now connected to all four of the airline's hubs which connects the Okanagan Valley directly to Air Canada's vast global network with at most, one-stop.
Air Canada's domestic peak summer schedule beginning at the end of June will feature 3 new routes taking the total number of cities served to 50. This includes the re-establishment of select regional routes, and wide-body aircraft featuring Air Canada Signature Class and Premium Economy Class on select transcontinental routes.
"With Canada's ongoing vaccine roll-out acceleration together with various provincial governments' reopening plans that include travel, this summer is looking brighter. As customers are ready to travel, Air Canada is taking a leadership position to support our partners in Canada's tourism and hospitality sector with service to 50 destinations from coast to coast, the re-start of regional services and new, non-stop flights," said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. "We are especially proud that our new state-of-the-art, Canadian-manufactured Airbus A220 aircraft will be operating across Canada."
Airbus and JetBlue have signed a Flight Hour Services (FHS) contract to look after the components maintenance services for the carriers 70 A220 aircraft on order.
The maintenance-by-the-hour service contract includes material services with on-site-parts stock management, as well as access to Airbus’ pool of parts, engineering and repair services.
“As for all Airbus aircraft programmes, A220 customers are benefitting from Airbus’ renowned maintenance FHS programme. We are extremely proud to welcome JetBlue as our first FHS customer in North America and be able to further increase its A220 fleet’s availability in support of traffic resuming”, said Dominik Wacht, Head of Airbus Customer Services, North America.
This week, the Airspace Customer Showroom (ACS) situated in Toulouse, France unveiled its latest A220 full size mock-up, showcasing Airbus’ cabin expertise inside this unique customer showroom.
"Today marks an important development in the ongoing career of the A220 as a member of the Airbus family, all together in the Airspace Customer Showroom. We are looking forward to showing the A220 mockup to our customers who are already extremely enthusiastic to visit,” said Christine de Gagné, Airline Marketing Director.
The European planemaker Airbus is looking to ramp up production rates of its popular commercial aircraft as it moves to recover to pre-COVID levels between 2023 and 2025.
The company has told its suppliers it wants them to increase production to meet the growing demand and secure long term capacity and production rate readiness.
“The aviation sector is beginning to recover from the COVID-19 crisis”, said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “The message to our supplier community provides visibility to the entire industrial ecosystem to secure the necessary capabilities and be ready when market conditions call for it. In parallel, we are transforming our industrial system by optimising our aerostructures set-up and modernising our A320 Family production facilities. All these actions are set in motion to prepare our future.”
SWISS took delivery of its thirtieth new Airbus A220 at Zurich Airport this week to mark a further milestone in the biggest fleet renewal programme in its corporate history. SWISS was launching carrier and first operator of the new short- and medium-haul twinjet, which was designed and developed from scratch. The Airbus A220 emits over 20 per cent less carbon dioxide than comparable aircraft types. SWISS’s thirtieth A220, a ‑300 model with the registration HB-JCU, was named ‘Davos’ following its Zurich arrival.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) received its thirtieth new Airbus A220 (formerly known as the Bombardier C Series) at Zurich Airport at 21:00 on Monday evening. Aircraft HB-JCU, which is an A220-300, had flown directly from Airbus Canada’s Montreal Mirabel works. Its arrival concludes SWISS’s acquisition programme for this advanced short- and medium-haul twinjet with its lower carbon emission credentials.
“With today’s delivery of our thirtieth Airbus A220, we have marked another milestone in the biggest fleet renewal in the history of our company,” says SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx. “We are proud to now have 30 of these innovative aircraft in our fleet ranks. The Airbus A220 helps give us one of Europe’s most advanced aircraft fleets,” he continues. “This in turn enables us to live up to our environmental responsibilities. And SWISS will continue to invest in advanced aircraft and technologies. To do so, though, we must be able to operate within parameters that allow us to maintain both a competitive edge and an investment capability.”
The most impressive moments of 5 years A220 fleet renewal
It has been a while in the planning and now a new airline is breezing into operation from a management team that has a rich history and a wealth of knowledge of the aviation and hospitality industries.
Breeze Airways is a new airline that plans to merge technology with kindness and provide a route network between underserved cities across the U.S. at affordable fares. The new startup says seamless booking, no change or cancellation fees and customized flight features delivered via a sleek and simple app is what will set it apart from its competitors.
The Breeze leadership team is made up of:
David Neeleman, Breeze founder and CEO, is a serial airline entrepreneur. He’s the only person we can think of who has launched four successful airline start-ups (Azul, JetBlue, Westjet and Morris Air) and who, with Breeze, is now on his fifth.
Tom Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, who is leading Breeze’s operations, having worked previously at Azul, Virgin America, JetBlue, Airbus and Boeing.
Lukas Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer, who is overseeing marketing and route strategy, coming to Breeze from Allegiant.
Trent Porter, Chief Financial Officer, who is looking after all things financial, coming to us from Allegiant and US Airways.
John Varley, Chief People Officer and General Counsel, looking after legal and human resources, previously with Virgin America, Delta and ExpressJet.
Amy Curtis-McIntyre, brand management and marketing advisor, formerly at JetBlue, Airbnb, Hyatt and Virgin Atlantic.
Mega-carrier Delta is expanding its East Coast operations to compete more with JetBlue from Boston and New York City. The airline is going to offer more choice, new services and upgraded aircraft for an elevated onboard experience to some key destinations
“As demand grows, our commitment to Boston and New York is stronger than ever, which is why we’re continuing to invest in these communities to offer more nonstops and greater connectivity to top markets,” said Joe Esposito, S.V.P. – Network Planning. “While the global recovery from the pandemic is underway and more travelers take to the skies, Delta is ready to keep delivering the exceptional service and products that our customers expect.”
The professionalism, care and hospitality of Delta people were recognized by the prestigious J.D. Power 2021 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, in which the airline earned the No. 1 spot – a particularly monumental achievement during one of the most stressful periods for travel in modern history.
New routes, more A220 service and more lie-flat seats for Boston
Latvian airline airBaltic is launching another new route on 4th June, this time the carrier will be linking its home base of Riga with the Italian city of Naples, twice a week.
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “We are delighted to add Naples to our summer 2021 route map. We are eager to offer the best connections between Riga and sunny leisure destinations once the epidemiological situation improves this summer. We are optimistic about the summers and looking forward to offer more and more safe connections from the Baltics.”
Roberto Barbieri, Chief Executive Officer of GESAC, Naples Airport Management Company: “The new connection introduces two important news: it is the first time that Naples has a direct flight to Riga and that airBaltic operates scheduled flights from Naples airport. It is an extremely positive message in this period as the enhancement of air connectivity stimulates the entire tourist industry. In order to ensure safe transit, we have adopted passenger-friendly and technologically advanced health measures”.
A new destination will be joining the airBaltic route network when the airline starts to operate flights from Riga to Edinburgh on Mondays and Fridays from 4th June.
This will be airBaltic’s second destination in Scotland as flights to Aberdeen will also resume on 1st May with two weekly frequencies on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “We are delighted to announce our second destination in Scotland, thus expanding connectivity between Latvia and the United Kingdom. In addition to the new route, airBaltic also continues to offer convenient and safe connections between Riga and London, Aberdeen and Manchester in the United Kingdom.”
Latvian state-owned airline airBaltic has announced two new routes to launch in early June, connecting Riga with Italy and Greece.
On June 4th, 2021 the airline will start a service between Riga and Naples, scheduled to operate twice a week. Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: "We are delighted to add Naples to our summer 2021 route map. We are eager to offer the best connections between Riga and sunny leisure destinations once the epidemiological situation improves this summer. We are optimistic about the summers and looking forward to offer more and more safe connections from the Baltics."
Roberto Barbieri, Chief Executive Officer of GESAC, Naples Airport Management Company: "The new connection introduces two important news: it is the first time that Naples has a direct flight to Riga and that airBaltic operates scheduled flights from Naples airport. It is an extremely positive message in this period as the enhancement of air connectivity stimulates the entire tourist industry. In order to ensure a safe transit, we have adopted passenger-friendly and technologically advanced health measures".
One day later, airBaltic will launch its service from Riga to Santorini in Greece, Gauss said: "We are delighted to offer safe and convenient direct travel options for travellers between Riga and the well-known Greece island Santorini".
Despite the global pandemic and the downturn in the aviation industry the European planemaker Airbus still managed to deliver 566 aircraft during 2020, just 34% fewer than in 2019.
It also managed to record a total of 383 new aircraft orders, 268 net orders in all market segments. There were 64 new orders for the A220, 296 orders were received for A320 family of jets. In the widebody sector, Airbus gained 23 new orders including two A330s and 21 A350s. After 115 cancellations by the end of 2020, Airbus’ backlog stood at 7,184 aircraft.
“Working hand-in-hand with our customers allowed us to navigate a difficult year. The Airbus teams, customers and suppliers truly pulled together in the face of adversity to deliver this result. We also thank our partners and governments for their strong support to the sector,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “Based on our 2020 deliveries we are cautiously optimistic as we look into 2021, although challenges and uncertainties remain high in the short term.”
JetBlue has formally taken delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft, marking the start of a new era for the airline's fleet.
The aircraft – tail N3008J – is scheduled to arrive at JetBlue's home at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) this evening from Airbus's U.S. production facility in Mobile, Ala. It is the first delivery of 70 A220 aircraft JetBlue has on order, which will be phased in to ultimately replace the existing fleet of 60 Embraer 190 aircraft.
"The A220 is a next-generation aircraft our customers and crewmembers will love, featuring impressive range and superior economics to support critical financial and operating priorities along with new network planning flexibility,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. "And as we evolve our fleet for the future, the A220’s significant reduction in per-seat emissions supports our ongoing commitment to carbon neutrality for all our domestic flights, and moves us closer to achieving our pledge of net-zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040.”
This was the week that Airbus delivered its first U.S.-assembled A220 aircraft from Mobile, Alabama, underlining the aircraft manufacturer’s role as a global aircraft producer and heralding the arrival of a new era in Airbus aircraft production in the United States. The aircraft was delivered to Delta Air Lines.
“The delivery of the first U.S.-built A220-300 is a historic moment that highlights Airbus’ growing industrial footprint in North America and makes us all extremely proud,” said C. Jeffrey Knittel, Chairman & CEO Airbus Americas, Inc. “We look forward to seeing passengers delighted by the experience of travelling on board this brand new A220-300 proudly built in Mobile, Alabama.”
