Airbus Updates No.3567

 Air France Accepts First Airbus A220 Ahead Of October Flights

Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 aircraft. The airline became the second French carrier to take the jet, behind Reunion-based Air Austral. The airline will begin flying the first of its 60 aircraft order with the start of the IATA winter schedule on October 31st.

Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 aircraft. Photo: Air France

More carriers around the world are slowly adopting the Airbus A220. Its efficiency makes it a popular replacement to some older generation aircraft, and now Air France has taken note of its latest order. With its order of 60 Airbus A220s, Air France is currently on track to become the largest A220 operator in Europe.

Airbus A220 arrival

Today, Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The jet, registered as F-HZUA, flew from Canada to Paris last night. The airline then officially took delivery of the aircraft at its Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport home.

The delivery comes as the first of many. By 2025, Air France hopes to have 60 of the smallest Airbus product in operation. The fleet is expected to primarily replace the aging A318s and A319s operated by the carrier, but they will also replace some A320 aircraft.

What to expect from the A220

As is standard on the Airbus A220, Air France has equipped its cabins with a 2-3 seating layout. Interestingly, the columns of seats are A, C, D, E, and F, skipping B on the left-hand side of the aircraft. 80% of the 148 seats onboard the aircraft have a window or aisle. At the front of the cabin is a small business cabin, followed by an economy cabin.

According to Air France, its seats have a width of 48cm (18.9 inches). These recline to 118 degrees. The seats come with ergonomic leather seat cushions, a table, a cup holder, and a pouch for documents. Each seat also has USB A and C ports, which means passengers can power their devices while using the in-flight WiFi.

Each seat comes with power and cup holders. Photo: Air France

Launch routes

According to aviation data experts Cirium, Air France is yet to place the Airbus A220 on any specific flights in its schedule. However, the airline did give us a clue as to where we’ll see the aircraft flying. The aircraft will begin flying for the French flag carrier in a month on October 31st. This is the day that the IATA winter schedule begins, and thus, it is a natural day for the aircraft to enter service.

The aircraft will initially be used for short-haul intra-European jaunts. Initial destinations have been listed as,

• Berlin, Germany
• Barcelona, Spain
• Madrid, Spain
• Milan (Linate), Italy
• Venice, Italy

By the end of the winter season, Bologna (Italy), Rome (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), and Copenhagen (Denmark) should’ve also been added to the A220 network.

The airline will begin flying the jet on October 31st. Photo: Air France

Commenting on the aircraft’s delivery, Air France-KLM CEO, Benjamin Smith, said,

“This new aircraft with an unparalleled energy performance represents a major asset for Air France. To date, fleet renewal is the main source of reducing CO2 emissions, and this is why we are continuing to invest in latest-generation aircraft.”

Airbus Updates No.3051

 First Air France Airbus A220 To Be Delivered In September 2021

Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the airline industry, Air France is pushing forward with the integration of its Airbus A220 order into its fleet. It has recently emerged that the French carrier will be sticking to its original timescales, receiving the first example this autumn. Specifically, the first Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft will arrive in September.

Air France has a total of 60 A220s on order. Image: Airbus

Engine order has been finalized

Earlier this month, Pratt & Whitney confirmed that deliveries of Air France’s Airbus A220s would commence this September. The news emerged when the US engine manufacturer announced that the Air France-KLM Group had ordered more than 120 of its GTF engines, otherwise known as the PW1000G, to power the new aircraft. Specifically, Pratt & Whitney confirmed that:

“Air France-KLM Group has finalized an order for more than 120 GTF engines to power a fleet of 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. (…) The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in September 2021.”

 These turbofans represent a modern and efficient choice for single-aisle jetliners. They also feature on certain next-generation Embraer E-Jets and Airbus A320neos series aircraft. Among their advantages are a greatly reduced noise footprint, and “double-digit improvements in fuel and carbon emissions.” Air France’s Chief Commercial Officer, Angus Clarke, said:

“Thanks in large part to Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, we expect our A220 fleet to deliver significant economic and operational benefits to Air France, and far lower noise and emissions, which will benefit our customers, communities and planet.“

A significant order

The first delivery in September will mark the end of more than two years of waiting for the French flag carrier, which first announced its order in July 2019. It firmed the order in December that year. Last April, the airline announced that it was expecting to receive the first example in autumn 2021. As we can see from Pratt & Whitney’s announcement, this is a timescale that, despite the current crisis, it has managed to stick to.

Air France will use the A220 to replace older A320 series aircraft, such as this A319. Photo: Jake Hardiman -Simple Flying

All 60 aircraft that will come to Air France will be the larger A220-300 variant, which is currently the largest version available. However, the airline has stated that it would also be interested in a stretched A220-500 variant. The -300 has sufficient capacity to replace its A318 and A319 aircraft (of which Air France has 18 and 32 respectively).

However, it also has its larger A320 (44 examples) and A321 (20 examples) to consider in terms of fleet modernization. If Airbus does not produce such an aircraft, Air France may deviate from its all-Airbus short-haul fleet trend and order the Boeing 737 MAX.

A popular short-haul game-changer

The integration of the A220 into its operations will represent an exciting step forward for Air France’s short-haul fleet. The aircraft, which was originally known as the Bombardier CSeries, has quickly become popular among airlines and passengers.

From an airline’s perspective, the aircraft’s improved efficiency and reduced noise pollution are pleasing factors in terms of both operating costs and environmental impact. Meanwhile, passengers have come to appreciate the extra space that the A220’s 3-2 seating configuration offers. Its extra-large windows are also a bonus from a passenger experience perspective!