The Airbus A220: The Little Plane That Could

The first Delta A220 after being assembled in Miracle, Canada. (Photo courtesy of Airbus)

As the airline industry struggles to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines left, right, and center have been cancelling orders for new aircraft due to lack of demand all over the industry. There is however one plane that’s still standing tall and that is the Airbus A220. With the recent news earlier this month that the first Airbus A220 completed in Mobile, Alabama took its first flight, this plane has an opportunity to take over the commercial aviation market by foarce. Due to the aircraft’s versatility given it’s size and range, airlines look at this plane as a suitable replacement for Embrarer E190s and older Mad Dog series aircraft. In this post, I will talk about the history of the A220 along with how this aircraft can change commercial aviation.

History of the A220

An Airbus A220-300 after being assembled in Mobile Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Airways Magazine)

The development of the Airbus A220 didn’t have their roots within the Airbus. It was introduced by Bombardier in 2008 at the Farnborough Airshow. Back then, Bombardier introduced it as the CSeries (CS100 and CS300 respectively). Given Bombardier’s success with their regional CRJ series, the next step was to develop a next generation aircraft that can carry between 100 and 150 passengers. The goal of this was to replace aging DC-9s, MD 80/90s, and older variants of the Boeing 737. It would fill in the gap of the market between the CRJ regional series and the market segment dominated by the Boeing 737 NG and Airbus A320. The first CS100 would eventually take its first flight on September 16th, 2013 and the first one would be delivered to Swiss International Airlines in 2017.

An Airbus A220 for Swiss International Airlines (Photo courtesy of Swiss International Airlines)

Eventually, Delta Airlines would follow suit and initially ordered 125 aircraft much to the chagrin of Boeing who wanted the airline to order more 737s, escalating the aerospace giant’s feud with Delta. According to the Daily Beast, Boeing accused Bombardier of “dumping” the jets by selling each plane at $14 million below how much it costed to build the CS series. Then in September of 2017, the US imposed a 300% tariff on Bombardier. But Airbus would come to the rescue and took a majority stake in the program and moved the production of the CS series to Mobile Alabama and eventually it would be renamed to the Airbus A220.

Why the Airbus A220?

The cockpit of the A220. (Photo courtesy of Airbus)

The size and efficiency of the A220 is a unique selling proposition that make airlines such as JetBlue or Delta keen on purchasing more aircraft. The range of the A220-300 is about 3900 miles, which is similar to the Airbus A320 but it’s more efficient thanks in part to its smaller size as well as the two Pratt & Whitney PW 1500G turbofan engines with a bypass ratio of 12:1. As a result it could potentially fly from Seattle to Atlanta and back without having the need to refuel. As with the aircraft’s smaller size, it would allow airlines to open up routes that they wouldn’t have thought of before such as if Delta decided to experiment with a route from Los Angeles to Milwaukee due in part to the small size of the A220, that filling up an A220 would be easier than filling up an A320 or 737. A few months ago, I wrote on LinkedIn on how the rebooted Midwest Airlines could utilize the A220 for operations as economic conditions slowly improve during COVID-19. Other airlines that can benefit from the A220 would be European Carriers because the small size would allow airlines such as British Airways be able to fly their A220s out of London City Airport for Inter-European travel without having the need to utilize London Heathrow or Gatwick. As a result, this aircraft has the potential to be one of the best-selling if not the best-selling aircraft of the 2020s. But while airlines can benefit from the A220, what about the passengers?

The economy cabin on a Delta A220. (Photo courtesy of Delta Airlines)

When the A220 was initially brought into service, airlines had passenger comfort in mind. Carriers such as Delta or Air Canada wanted to bring an international travel flavor to their short to medium haul market to attract more passengers. Delta for example provided high-capacity baggage bins, seat-back screens and 2-3 seating in economy class. The reason being for 2-3 seating is to give more width and legroom for passengers as opposed to traditional 3-3 seating in economy class on the 737 or A320. All these factors can give airlines the opportunity to improve their commitment to their customers. and be a staple for commercial aviation as we transition into a post COVID-19 world.

Conclusion

An Air Canada A220 takes off. (Photo courtesy of The Points Guy)

The versatility of the Airbus A220 already proved itself to be a watershed moment for some airlines that are already struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. With its small size and best in class efficiency, it should be able to dominate the aviation industry for years to come. But what do you guys think? Will the Airbus A220’s impact be felt throughout the industry. Let me know in the comments down below and keep looking to the sky!