The airframer handed over the A220 to Delta Air Lines just under two years after it broke ground on the Alabama facility
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has delivered its first US-assembled A220, marking the arrival of a new era for the firm in the country.
The jet, N302DU (c/n 55070) – which was handed over to Delta Air Lines – is an A220-300 and is the first example of the stretched narrowbody to enter the carrier’s fleet alongside its existing 33-strong roster of -100s.
Airbus broke ground on its Mobile, Alabama-based A220 final assembly line in January last year. Production officially began in August 2019 and the inaugural flight of this airframe occurred in June this year.
“The delivery of the first US-built [aircraft] is a historic moment that highlights Airbus’ growing industrial footprint in North America and makes us all extremely proud,” said Jeffrey Knittel, chairman and CEO Airbus Americas. “We look forward to seeing passengers delighted by the experience of travelling on board this brand new A220-300 proudly built in Mobile, Alabama.”
To date, approximately 400 US employees have been trained on A220 production - some in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, where the A220 program and primary final assembly line are located. A year ago, the first US-based production team began assembling A220s in Mobile.
Delta is currently the largest A220 customer and operator of the type, with a total of 95 examples on order. The carrier becomes the second in the world – behind Swiss International Air Lines – to utilise both variants.
As of end September 2020, 123 A220s have been delivered to seven operators and are being flown on routes in Asia, America, Europe, and Africa.
