Airbus closer to A220-500 launch
Airbus seems to becoming closer to an official launch of the A220-500, the long awaited stretched version of the A220. According to Reuters, the manufacturer will launch official sales talks with prospects in the coming weeks.
If the project receives a positive welcome from potential customers, the next step would be a formal approval by the Airbus-board. If things go well, it's expected that the A220-500 could be officially launched by July of this year.
The proposed A220-500 would be a "simple" stretch, with no changes to the aircraft's engines or wings. It will increase the seating capacity to a maximum of around 180 passengers, which is 20 more than the A220-300 can carry. Because of the increased weigth, the A220-500 will have less range than the A220-300. Various experts expect the aircraft to be able to fly up to four hours with its maximum load.
A lengthened A220 has always been considered by Airbus and was also plotted by Bombardier, which dubbed it the CS500. The European manufacturer over the years had been reluctant in launching the version as profitable production of the current versions proved challenging. A stretched A220 would also encroach on the territory of the A320neo. However, with production of the A220 becoming more stable and more customers choosing the A321neo over the A320neo, it seems Airbus is now confident enough to pull the trigger.
A220-customers like Air France, Breeze and Delta Air Lines have always publically stated their interest in a stretched version and it's interesting to see who will become the launch customer(s) if the project is officially launched.
