Iraqi Airways (IA, Baghdad) began A220-300 commercial flight operations on November 6, 2022, seven months after it took delivery of the aircraft.
YI-ARE (msn 55136) operated the type's first flight from Baghdad to Cairo Int'l and has since also been deployed to Amman Queen Alia and Beirut, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Sistership YI-ARF (msn 55145) debuted revenue operations on November 8, 2022.
The airline did not explain the delay in the induction of the aircraft. Iraqi Airways ordered five A220-300s. The remaining three aircraft are due for delivery "within the coming months".
SWISS Resumes A220 Flights From Zurich To London City Airport
Lufthansa Group carrier SWISS will return to London City Airport with its Airbus A220. The airline is initially set to operate two rotations a week before gradually restoring service on the route as travel restrictions between the two cities are hopefully relaxed.
SWISS’ Airbus A220 will today return to London City Airport. Photo: London City Airport
Business travelers make up a considerable portion of London City Airport’s typical passenger demographic. Given that international business travel remains at a near standstill, the airport has possibly suffered the most out of any in the London area, closing its doors altogether at the height of the first wave of COVID-19. Now, the airline is looking to build its operations back up.
Return of the SWISS Airbus A220
Today marks the return of the SWISS Airbus A220 to London City Airport. Flying from Zurich, the Airbus A220 flight is set to last one hour and 40 minutes. Following the services’ relaunch today, SWISS will initially serve the central London airport twice a week.
The airport hopes to increase the schedule with SWISS this summer. Of course, this will depend on the demand for the route, which itself will almost certainly depend largely on whether Switzerland is placed on the UK green list, leading to the end of quarantine for travelers from Zurich.
The route will initially operate twice a week. Photo: Getty Images
Switzerland is currently on the UK’s amber list, meaning that arrivals need to quarantine for at least five days and take at least two PCR tests. According to the UK Government’s foreign travel advice, “Travelers from the UK are not permitted entry to Switzerland”. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as those with a residence permit.
Commenting on the return of SWISS, Tamur Goudarzi Pour, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, said,
“We are very pleased to resume connections from Zurich and Geneva to London City. Its proximity to the city center and its convenient size with short distances make London City Airport equally attractive for our business and leisure travelers.”
A long way to full recovery
While London City Airport has recovered somewhat from the impact of COVID-19, it still has an awful long way to go until it gets close to 2019 traffic levels. According to data from RadarBox.com, the airport is still operating at just 10% of pre-pandemic levels, with around 24 flights a day on average compared to 236 on the same week in 2019.
While traffic at London City Airport has improved slightly, it still has a long way to go. Photo: RadarBox.com
At the peak of its first wave of recovery last year, the airport was handling an average of 50 flights a day. While 10% of pre-pandemic flights doesn’t sound fantastic, it was still a vast improvement on the situation this time last year. For April and May last year, the airport was closed entirely.
JetBlue’s Accelerates Airbus A220 Commercial Service Launch
JetBlue’s first Airbus A220 commercial flights are slated to begin this month. Starting on April 26th, JetBlue’s first commercial A220 is set to fly flight number 1391 to Tampa, which marks an acceleration from the previously announced timeline for A220 services starting in mid-June on flights to Florida.
JetBlue will fly its inaugural A220-300 flight on April 26th from Boston to Tampa. Photo: Airbus
JetBlue to fly first A220 commercial flight this month
On April 26th, JetBlue is set to fly its first commercial A220 flight. Flight number 1391 will head to Tampa International Airport (TPA) from Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS).
Per JetBlue schedules, flight 1391 is expected to depart BOS at 16:32 and arrive three hours and 24 minutes later at 19:56 in Tampa (all times are local). However, the current booking engine has not loaded up the A220 flights. This flight is showing an Airbus A320 will fly the route currently. In the coming days, this should be fixed.
The Airbus A220’s entry into service with JetBlue has been accelerated. Photo: JetBlue
JetBlue, however, has been flying the Airbus A220 around to various cities in the US. The aircraft has been seen in Pittsburgh, Fort Lauderdale, and other airports in JetBlue’s network. JetBlue has been running test flights with this aircraft in preparation for the inaugural flights.
As always, flight schedules are subject to change. The Airbus A220 may end up having its inaugural flight delayed if the situation changes or if JetBlue is not yet comfortable flying the aircraft.
Accelerated Airbus A220 entry
After taking its first Airbus A220 on December 31st, 2020, the airline has eagerly anticipated its first A220-operated flights. JetBlue currently only has firm orders for the A220-300, and the first A220 it took was one of the larger -300s.
When JetBlue first took the A220, it announced that it expected the aircraft to enter revenue service by mid-June on flights between Boston and Fort Lauderdale. The new A220 entry will see the carrier fly the jet from Boston, but to a different Florida airport and just under two months ahead of schedule.
JetBlue tends to take a more conservative stance before introducing a new aircraft into revenue service. The airline wants to ensure that its crew is ready to fly on the jet to minimize any friction points when it comes to inaugurating flights with the jet. This is one reason why the airline has waited for a few months before putting the Airbus A220 into service.
Boston is one of JetBlue’s hubs, and Florida is where many Americans are flocking to in the midst of a global pandemic. Current schedules for flights from Boston to Tampa show up to six nonstop flights on the route per day. JetBlue has scheduled non-Mint Airbus A320 aircraft for flights between Boston and Tampa. It is not clear how long the A220 will fly on the route.
The A220 fleet will replace JetBlue’s E190 aircraft, though the inaugural flight will run alongside Airbus A320 jets. Photo: Getty Images
JetBlue’s Airbus A220
The Airbus A220 is a large part of JetBlue’s fleet renewal plan. JetBlue plans on replacing its Embraer E190s with the jet. In addition, the carrier has enough on order to expand its route portfolio, if it chooses, beyond traditional Embraer-operated routes.
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JetBlue’s Airbus A220s are outfitted in an all-economy configuration. All 140 seats on the aircraft are fitted with access to power outlets, live TV and seatback entertainment with a 10.1-inch 1080P HD screen and WiFi.
As other airlines move away from inflight entertainment through seatback screens, JetBlue has ensured its A220s are equipped with this feature and more. Photo: JetBlue
The A220’s flexibility is well-appreciated, as the jet is emerging as a winner and many airlines absolutely love using those planes. JetBlue states that the A220 offers a nearly 30% lower direct operating cost per seat than the E190s. With superior economics, the airline believes the A220s can cover existing routes and have the potential to cover new markets and routes that would be unprofitable with the existing fleet.
