Air Canada has unveiled the newest member of its fleet, the Airbus A220-300. The A220’s state-of-the-art design and cabin are destined to be extremely popular with passengers. Not only is the A220 a completely new aircraft built from the ground up, but one that will allow Air Canada to introduce new routes throughout North America.
“This is a historic moment for Air Canada as we welcome the Airbus A220 into our fleet. We are the first airline in Canada to operate this next-generation aircraft, which was designed by Bombardier in Mirabel, Quebec. Our customers will enjoy a level of comfort unrivaled on a single-aisle aircraft and the A220’s operating efficiencies promise meaningful environmental and cost benefits,” said Calin Rovinescu, Air Canada’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
“Airbus is very proud to be celebrating with our longstanding customer Air Canada, as they add their first A220 to their fleet. Airbus has been in Canada for over 35 years, and we are becoming even more Canadian as passengers from Canada are about to discover a brand new flying experience onboard this state-of-the-art Canadian-designed and built aircraft,” said Philippe Balducchi, CEO, Airbus Canada Limited Partnership and Head of Country Canada for Airbus.
A220 Opens Up New Opportunities for Air Canada
The first flight was on January 16 between Montreal and Calgary. As more of the A220s enter service, Air Canada will schedule them on various Canadian and transborder routes including between Montreal and Toronto, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and New York’s La Guardia.
The first two new A220 routes for Air Canada begin May 4, 2020, with the launch of Montreal-Seattle and Toronto-San Jose, California service, the only non-stop service between these city pairs.
“The A220 will allow Air Canada to further strengthen our position on transborder and transcontinental markets and be instrumental in our continued growth,” said Mark Galardo, Vice President of Network Planning at Air Canada.
About the Air Canada A220-300
- Air Canada’s first Airbus A220-300 was built at Airbus Canada’s (previously Bombardier) Mirabel facility employing close to 2,700 people. Each A220 includes parts from 30 Canadian suppliers.
- Air Canada has firm orders for 45 A220s, with a total list price value of US $3.8 billion for the order at the time it was made, all of which are to be built at Mirabel.
- Air Canada will be the first North American carrier to operate the larger A220-300 version of the aircraft, which has a range of 3,200 nautical miles.
- The two-class cabin has 137 seats: 12 in a 2×2 configuration in Business Class and 125 in a 3×2 layout for Economy passengers. Customers will have more personal space thanks to the widest economy seats in the fleet at 19 inches, and the largest overhead stowage bins for an aircraft this size.
- Additional features include larger windows and full-color LED ambient and customizable mood lighting that contribute to reducing fatigue while traveling. The high ceilings, extra shoulder room and storage make this an unparalleled interior in the narrow-body segment.
- Every seat on the A220 features an in-flight entertainment system with content available in 15 languages and features more than 1,000 hours of high-quality entertainment. The system also offers dynamic closed captioning for the deaf and is accessible to the visually impaired. The A220 will also have satellite-based, high-speed Wi-Fi access.
- The A220 will also further Air Canada’s environmental commitment, with engines projected to yield a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption per seat.
Learn more about the A220-300, visit aircanada.com.
