Joining the A team

Air Baltic’s tenth A220-300, YL-CSJ (msn 55038), is the first to be delivered bearing A220-300 rather than CS300 designation.
Air Baltic

The Airbus A220, the aircraft formerly known as the C Series, has picked up two big new orders from North America after low-cost operator JetBlue and an undisclosed start-up airline in the United States each signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 60 examples of the A220-300 (the former CS300).

The orders increase the number of A220s in the North American market, with Delta Air Lines having previously ordered 75 A220-100s, Air Canada 45 A220-300s and Republic Airways 40 A220-300s. Carriers there now account for more than 75% of all A220 orders since the jet was launched as the C Series by Bombardier a decade ago. (Airbus took it into its portfolio and rebranded it as the A220 in July.)

The recent orders coincided with Air Baltic receiving its tenth example, YL-CSJ (msn 55038), the ffirst to be delivered bearing A220-300 rather than CS300 designation. Air Baltic was the A220-300 launch operator and itself recently upped its commitment to the aircraft, ordering 60 more.

Airbus is confident of securing further sales for the latest addition to its family. Airbus Group Chief Executive Tom Enders told the 2018 Airbus Investor Meeting the 120 sales in the space of a week “validates the core hypothesis behind the acquisition” of the aircraft by the company. Enders made a bold prediction: “With the power of Airbus behind it in the market we can probably sell thousands.” Mark Broadbent