LONDON – In the last few minutes, Airbus has announced an additional order with Air Canada for 15 more A220-300 aircraft.
This brings the firm commitment up from 45 to 60, with the airline already well-versed with the aircraft type since its entry back in January 2020.
Commenting on the deal was Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer & Head of International:
“We are honored that Air Canada is coming back for more A220s. This demonstrates the value the aircraft is bringing, and we are proud to provide our customer with a high level of flexibility, great economics, and a real passenger appeal”.
“With already over 30 aircraft in service with the airline, the A220 has established itself as an efficient route-opener, as well as a mainline workhorse, strengthening the carriers’ continental network while delivering on Air Canada’s ambitious decarbonization targets.”
“We thank Air Canada for their continued trust in Airbus.”
Also commenting on the deal was Mark Galardo, the Senior VP of Network Planning & Revenue Management at Air Canada:
“The A220 has become an important component in the modernization of Air Canada’s fleet and a key part of our narrowbody fleet, thanks to its performance and passenger comfort.”
“Our customers truly enjoy the benefits of the A220, from its quieter cabin, larger overhead bins, and comfortable seating.”
“The A220 is the perfect aircraft for our North American network thanks to its economics, and its fuel efficiency also supports Air Canada’s commitment to reduce emissions on the way to its goal of net zero emissions from all global operations by 2050,”
A220 Model Works for Air Canada?
It remains clear that for Air Canada, the A220 model is definitely working for them, particularly on domestic and transcontinental services as well.
With lower costs and better fuel efficiency, the A220 has become a useful tool for Air Canada, especially as fuel costs go up due to the ongoing effects of the Ukraine Crisis.
On top of this, the A220 does appear to be the best choice when it comes to fleet renewal, especially on its older Airbus domestic aircraft that they have at present.
This may not bode well for Boeing with the 737 MAX, of which Air Canada does own some units of the type, as it is clear that the airline has made its mind up on this.
Overall…
It remains clear that Air Canada has a lot planned for the A220, and such fleet renewal taking place on the domestic and transcontinental front enables them to operate such routes on a cheaper basis.
Looking ahead, it’s going to be interesting to see what other destinations the airline plans to serve this aircraft type with, as well as whether there will be any frequency upgrades too.
But for now, all eyes are on Air Canada to see where they wish to take things next with the aircraft type and whether we could see more orders from them going into the future.
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