Airbus A220
| Airbus A220 | |
|---|---|
| An A220-300, the larger and more common variant, shown in Airbus livery | |
| General information | |
| Other name | Bombardier CSeries |
| Role | Narrow-body airliner |
| National origin | Canada |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Delta Air Lines |
| Number built | 493 as of February 2026 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2012–present |
| Introduction date | 15 July 2016 with Swiss Global Air Lines |
| First flight | 16 September 2013 |
The Airbus A220 is a family of five-abreast narrow-body airliners by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership (ACLP). It was originally developed by Bombardier Aviation and had two years of production as the Bombardier CSeries (BCS). The program was launched on 13 July 2008. The smaller A220-100 (formerly CS100) first flew on 16 September 2013, received an initial type certificate from Transport Canada on 18 December 2015, and entered service on 15 July 2016 with launch operator Swiss Global Air Lines. The longer A220-300 (formerly CS300) first flew on 27 February 2015, received an initial type certificate on 11 July 2016, and entered service with airBaltic on 14 December 2016. Both launch operators recorded better-than-expected fuel burn and dispatch reliability, as well as positive feedback from passengers and crew.
The rebranding to A220 took place in July 2018, after Airbus acquired a majority stake in the programme through a joint venture, which was subsequently renamed ACLP in June 2019. The A220 thus became the only Airbus commercial aircraft programme managed outside of Europe. In August, a second A220 final assembly line opened at the Airbus Mobile facility in Alabama, supplementing the main facility in Mirabel, Quebec. In February 2020, Airbus increased its stake in ACLP to 75% through Bombardier's exit, while Investissement Québec held the remaining stake.
Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines under its wings, the twinjet features fly-by-wire flight controls, a carbon composite wing, an aluminium-lithium fuselage, and optimised aerodynamics for better fuel efficiency. The aircraft family offers maximum take-off weights from 63.1 to 70.9 t (139,000 to 156,000 lb), and cover a 3,450–3,600 nmi (6,390–6,670 km; 3,970–4,140 mi) range. The 35 m (115 ft) long A220-100 seats 108 to 133, while the 38.7 m (127 ft) long A220-300 seats 130 to 160. The ACJ TwoTwenty is the business jet version of the A220-100, launched in late 2020.
Delta Air Lines is the largest A220 customer and operator with 84 aircraft in its fleet as of February 2026. A total of 949 A220s have been ordered of which 493 units have been delivered and 490 units are in commercial service with 25 operators. The global A220 fleet has completed more than 1.99 million flights over 3.50 million block hours, transporting more than 100 million passengers, with one smoke-related accident. The A220 family complements the A319neo in the Airbus range and competes with Boeing 737 MAX 7, as well as the smaller four-abreast Embraer E195-E2 and E190-E2, with the A220 holding over 55% market share in this small airliner category.