Air France-KLM firms order for 60 Airbus A220 aircraft

Air France-KLM has firmed up an order for 60 Airbus A220-300 destined for the French carrier to modernize its single-aisle fleet. The order is the biggest from a European carrier and another feather in the cap of the Airbus acquisition, which had an order book of 530 aircraft at the end of November. The A220 is pitted against Embraer’s E-jets  E2 family, soon to be majority-owned by Boeing. The newest member of the Embraer family, the E175-E2, recently took its inaugural flight and is heading into a rigorous 24-month flight test campaign. Watch the inaugural flight HERE. The deal allowing Boeing to take an 80 percent stake in Embraer’s commercial jet division was delayed until early 2020 after the European Commission said it would undertake an investigation on anti-trust grounds. Once completed, it will see Boeing and Airbus competing directly in the market for aircraft of up to 150 seats. Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer hailed the Air France confirmation “as a great step towards fleet optimization for large network carriers”. Air France currently operates a fleet of 159 Airbus aircraft. “The largest Airbus A220 order from a European carrier to date speaks volumes on Air France’s ambitious sustainability drive,’’ he said. “The modern and fuel-efficient Airbus A220 will contribute to lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions significantly compared to older generation aircraft.” The A220 offers a 20 percent lower fuel -burn per seat compared to older planes thanks to aerodynamic improvements, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. It also offers a comfortable, modern cabin comparable to some widebody aircraft. Earlier this year, Airbus began manufacturing the aircraft  in the US with a production facility in Mobile, Alabama, complementing facilities in Mirabel, Canada. The first U.S.-made A220 – a A220-300 destined for Delta Air Lines – is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2020. By the middle of the next decade, Airbus expects the facility will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft per year.