Air France receives first of 60 Airbus A220s

Air France has received its first A220-300 from an order for 60 aircraft of the type, the largest A220 order from a European carrier. The A220 was delivered from Airbus’ final assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, and officially unveiled to the public during a ceremony held at Paris Charles-De-Gaulle Airport. Airbus claims that the A220 is the most efficient and flexible aircraft in the 100 to 150 seat market segment today. The first Air France A220-300 will be operated on its medium-haul network from the 2021 winter season. Currently, Air France operates a fleet of 136 Airbus aircraft. Air France is also renewing its long-haul fleet and has already taken delivery of 11 A350s out of an order of 38. The Air France A220-300 cabin is configured in a single-class layout for 148 passengers. The A220 has a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km) and delivers up to 25 percent lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50 percent lower NOx emissions than industry standards. The A220s noise footprint is reduced by about 50 percent compared to previous generation aircraft. As of the end of August, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 11 operators worldwide.