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Airbus A220-100/300

Airbus / Bombardier · Narrowbody / Commercial Aviation · Canada · Digital Age (2010–present)

Airbus A220-100/300 — Narrowbody / Commercial Aviation
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The Airbus A220 is a five-abreast narrowbody airliner carrying 100–160 passengers, originally developed by Bombardier Aviation as the CSeries and now produced at Mirabel, Québec and Mobile, Alabama under Airbus Canada Limited Partnership (ACLP). Bombardier launched the programme at the 2008 Farnborough Airshow, betting that an all-new narrowbody smaller than the Airbus A321 or Boeing 787 family could open a market ignored by the two main airframe manufacturers. The smaller CS100 — now the A220-100 — first flew on 16 September 2013 and entered service with Swiss International Air Lines on 15 July 2016.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines producing 23,300 lbf each, the A220 delivers fuel burn 20 percent lower per seat than the previous generation of 100-seat jets (Fokker 100, early Embraer E-Jets). Top speed is 541 mph (Mach 0.82) and range is 3,400 miles, enough to connect medium-sized cities without a hub transfer. The aircraft holds a steep-approach certification for London City Airport — one of the world's most constrained runways — that the larger A321neo cannot match. Swiss operated its first London City flight in August 2017.

Airbus took a 50.01 percent ownership stake in the CSeries programme in June 2018, rebranding it A220 and gaining access to Airbus's global sales network. The move came after Boeing filed anti-dumping complaints in the United States in 2017, resulting in a 300 percent import tariff that threatened Bombardier's American sales. To sidestep the tariff, Airbus opened a second assembly line at its Mobile, Alabama facility. Delta Air Lines is the largest single customer with 107 aircraft ordered, and their A220s roll off the Alabama line. Over 500 A220s had been delivered by 2026, with a further 800 aircraft on backlog.

The A220's cabin is unusually spacious for its size class. Each seat row is 5 abreast in a 2-3 layout with 18.5-inch minimum seat width in economy — wider than the 17.2-inch minimum on an A320neo in a typical 3-3 layout. Overhead bins fit full-size roller bags in a side-by-side orientation. These passenger comfort advantages have driven unusually high seat load factors for Delta, JetBlue, and Air France — airlines that positioned the A220 as a premium product on thinner routes rather than as a low-cost density tool.

Production rose to around 80 aircraft per year by 2025. Unit cost is $100 million per aircraft at list prices. Airbus has outlined plans to stretch the A220 further — a notional A220-500 with 160–180 seats — though no firm launch had occurred by 2026. The A220 competes most directly with the Embraer E2 family and addresses the same seat class as the discontinued Bombardier CRJ900/1000.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Airbus A220 is a medium-sized passenger jet that started life as a Canadian plane called the Bombardier CSeries. Airbus later joined the project and gave it a new name. It carries between 100 and 160 people on shorter trips, like flying from one city to another in the same country or a nearby country.

This jet is known for having very wide, comfy seats for its size. Most planes this small squeeze six seats across in each row. The A220 uses only five seats across in a two-and-three layout. That means most passengers get either a window or an aisle seat. Each seat is about 47 centimetres wide — wider than seats on many bigger jets.

The A220 uses special engines made by Pratt and Whitney. These engines have a clever gearbox inside that helps the big fan spin at a different speed from the rest of the engine. This makes the engine more powerful and quieter at the same time. The A220 uses about 20 percent less fuel than older jets of the same size.

One cool thing about this plane is it can land at London City Airport. That airport is surrounded by tall buildings and a river. Pilots have to come in at a very steep angle — almost like a ski slope. Most jets are too big or too fast to do this. The A220 is smaller than a school bus is long in height, so it fits right in.

Fun Facts

  • The A220 started life as a Canadian plane called the Bombardier CSeries before Airbus took it over in 2018.
  • Its economy seats are 18 and a half inches wide — wider than seats on many larger jets like the Airbus A320.
  • The A220 can land at London City Airport, one of the world's trickiest airports, using a steep angle that most jets cannot manage.
  • Delta Air Lines is the biggest A220 customer, ordering 107 of them — all built in Mobile, Alabama.
  • The PW1500G engine has a gearbox inside that lets the big fan spin slower than the rest of the engine, saving fuel and cutting noise.
  • More than 500 A220s had been delivered to airlines around the world by 2026.
  • The A220 overhead bins are wide enough to fit two large rolling suitcases side by side.

Kids’ Questions

Why does the A220 have only five seats across instead of six?

Most small jets squeeze six seats into each row so they can carry more passengers. The A220 has only five seats across because its body is wider than most planes its size. This gives each passenger more room. Airlines like this because passengers are happier and more likely to fly with them again.

What is special about the engines on the A220?

The A220 uses Pratt and Whitney PW1500G engines. They have a gearbox inside — a bit like gears on a bicycle — that lets the big fan at the front spin at a different speed from the inside parts of the engine. This helps the engine push harder while using less fuel and making less noise. It burns about 20 percent less fuel than older engines the same size.

How is the A220 smaller than a school bus?

The A220-100, the smaller version, has a fuselage about 35 metres long. A typical school bus is about 12 metres long. So the A220 is longer than three school buses lined up. But compared to larger jets like the Airbus A350, which is over 65 metres long, the A220 is much smaller than a school bus is tall compared to something like a house.

Variants

A220-100 (CS100)
Shorter 108-seat variant. 35.1 m fuselage. Swiss International Air Lines launch operator in July 2016. Suited to thinner European and domestic routes. 60 aircraft delivered by 2026.
A220-300 (CS300)
Stretched main-production variant. 35 additional passengers over the -100; 130–160 seats. airBaltic launch operator in December 2016. Dominant order type with 400+ deliveries.
A220-300 (High Gross Weight)
Increased MTOW variant raising maximum take-off weight to 70,900 kg, adding roughly 500 miles of range. Entered service with Delta Air Lines from 2023 onwards.
ACJ TwoTwenty
Long-range corporate jet version of the A220-100 with custom interior. First delivery at EBACE Geneva in May 2023. Eight passengers with sleeping quarters and full galley.
A220-500 (proposed)
Notional stretch to 160–180 seats under customer discussions by Airbus. No firm launch decision announced as of May 2026; requires new wing and engine uprate.

Notable Operators

Delta Air Lines
Largest single customer with 107 aircraft on order, all assembled at Airbus's Mobile, Alabama facility. Operates A220-100s and -300s on US domestic and short-haul routes from major hubs.
Swiss International Air Lines
CS100/A220-100 launch operator in July 2016. Operates the full A220 family, including the steep-approach London City service. Fleet of 33 aircraft as of 2026.
airBaltic
CS300/A220-300 launch operator in December 2016. Operates an all-A220 fleet of 50 aircraft connecting Riga with European destinations, one of the world's highest-density A220 operators by fleet share.
Air France
Operates 60 A220-300s from Paris–Charles de Gaulle and Orly on European and medium-haul routes, replacing ageing Airbus A318 and A319 aircraft.
JetBlue Airways
American low-cost carrier operating 70 A220-300s on domestic US routes, marketing the wide 2-3 cabin and 18.5-inch economy rows as a premium product within its network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Bombardier CSeries and why was it rebranded as the A220?

Bombardier launched the CSeries in July 2008 as the CS100 and CS300 variants for the 100–150-seat market. After the aircraft entered service in 2016, Boeing filed a Section 201 trade complaint in the United States, leading to a 300 percent import tariff on Bombardier aircraft. Airbus stepped in with a joint venture in October 2017, acquiring 50.01 percent of the programme in June 2018. Airbus rebranded the CS100 as the A220-100 and the CS300 as the A220-300, integrating them into its product line. Bombardier later sold its remaining stake; the programme is now fully managed by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership.

How does the A220 compare to the Embraer E2?

The A220-300 and Embraer E195-E2 serve nearly identical passenger counts (130–146 vs 120–146 seats) at similar unit costs. The A220 uses a five-abreast 2-3 seating layout with 18.5-inch seats, versus Embraer's 2-2 layout on the E-Jets. The five-abreast layout means fewer centre seats per row, which passengers prefer, but generates different boarding patterns. Both use geared turbofan engines — PW1500G on the A220 versus PW1900G on the E195-E2 — delivering similar fuel burn improvements over previous-generation jets.

Why can the A220 land at London City Airport when larger jets cannot?

London City Airport requires aircraft to approach on a steep 5.5-degree glidepath — more than double the standard 3-degree approach — due to buildings and the River Thames close to the runway. The A220 received steep-approach certification, meaning its avionics, flap settings, and go-around procedures are tested and approved for this constraint. Larger jets like the A321 and Boeing 737 Max are not certified for this approach. Swiss International Air Lines began the first A220 London City service in August 2017.

Who is the biggest A220 customer and where are the aircraft built?

Delta Air Lines is the largest customer with 107 aircraft ordered. Delta's A220s are built at Airbus's Mobile, Alabama assembly facility, which opened in 2020 to avoid the American import tariffs that threatened Bombardier's original US sales. The primary production line remains at Mirabel, Québec, operated by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership. Between the two lines, Airbus was producing around 80 A220s per year by 2025.

What makes the A220 cabin wider than competing jets in the same seat class?

The A220's fuselage cross-section is 130 cm (51.2 in) wide at seat armrest height, giving a minimum economy seat width of 18.5 inches in its standard 2-3 layout. The A320neo in a typical six-abreast 3-3 layout offers around 17.2 inches per seat. The Embraer E190 family uses a four-abreast 2-2 layout that eliminates centre seats entirely but carries fewer passengers per row. The A220's wider body also allows overhead bins to accommodate two full-size roller bags side by side, reducing gate-check frequency.

What engine powers the Airbus A220?

The A220 uses the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan, which belongs to the same Pure Power GTF (geared turbofan) family as engines on the A320neo (PW1100G) and Embraer E2 jets (PW1700G/PW1900G). The gearbox between the fan and low-pressure compressor allows the fan to spin more slowly than the turbine — improving efficiency by roughly 16 percent over the CFM56 and V2500 engines on the A319/A320ceo. Each PW1500G produces 23,300 lbf at take-off thrust on the A220.

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