Air Canada has expanded its original order of A220 jets from 45 to 60 aircraft. The agreement was announced by Airbus on Wednesday and comprises 15 new A220-300, the higher-capacity version of the jet.
The Canadian carrier was a natural customer of the A220 as the single-aisle jet was originally designed in the country by Bombardier and then called the C Series.
But the first A220 was only delivered in January 2020. Since then, Air Canada has received 31 of these jets, all of them in the A220-300 version.
Although it was conceived as an aircraft for short and medium distances, the A220 has taken on routes to the United States and even Latin America, such as flights to San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, from Toronto and Montreal.
“The A220 has become an important component in the modernization of Air Canada’s fleet and a key part of our narrowbody fleet, thanks to its performance and passenger comfort. Our customers truly enjoy the benefits of the A220, from its quieter cabin, larger overhead bins and comfortable seating,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.
“We are honored that Air Canada is coming back for more A220s. This demonstrates the value of the aircraft is bringing and we are proud to provide our customer with a high level of flexibility, great economics and a real passenger-appeal,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International.
According to Airbus, 227 A220 jets had been delivered as of last month and they operate on 16 airlines. Total firm orders were 773 aircraft by September, 677 of the A220-300 version.
