As expected, Airbus launched a corporate variant of the A220 aircraft on the market, a commercial jet developed by Bombardier that was taken over by the European manufacturer. Named ACJ TwoTwenty (ACJ220), the new aircraft is based on the A220-100 version, the smallest in the family.
The ACJ TwoTwenty will have an extended range that will allow the jet to fly distances up to 5,650 nm (10,500 km), or more than 12 hours of flight. This performance will allow the aircraft to fly nonstop between cities like London and Los Angeles or Tokyo and Dubai.
“We are proud to extend the ACJ product Family with the launch of the ACJ TwoTwenty. The aircraft combines intercontinental range, unmatched personal space and comfort for all passengers. This latest technology platform offers unbeatable economics and unrivalled reliability,” said Benoit Defforge, President ACJ.
According to Airbus, Comlux, based in Indianapolis, will be responsible for configuring the interior of the new jet, which has 73 m² of cabin area and can accommodate up to six living areas.
The new aircraft will be able to accommodate up to 18 passengers and operate at the same airports as its smaller competitors, the originally designed as business jets Gulfstream 7000 and Global 8000, from Bombardier itself.
Can Embraer become a competitor to the new ACJ?
The launch of ACJ TwoTwenty comes at a time when Embraer stopped offering the Lineage 1000 in its portfolio of executive jets. The aircraft, based on the first generation of the E-Jets, does not have a performance comparable to the executive A220-100, which would be a task for the E190-E2 or E195-E2, for example.
But so far, the Brazilian manufacturer has not revealed whether it intends to launch an corporate version of the new E2 family. Perhaps the arrival of the Airbus rival is a good reason.
