Airbus Updates No.3627

 Air France’s Airbus A220 Enters Revenue Service

It has finally happened, and it’s no trick: on October 31st, Air France operated its initial A220 on its first revenue-generating service. The route: Paris CDG to Berlin. It was followed the same day by a round-trip to Venice. The A220 will primarily replace the A318/A319 and will operate nine routes from CDG this winter.

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What’s happening?

One month and two days after Air France took delivery of its first A220-300 and following many flights across France and beyond to train crew, F-HZUA has entered commercial service. The 148-seat aircraft is one of 60 A220s that will eventually be operated by Air France, although it has expressed its keenness for a stretched and higher-density A220 (the A220-500) to replace the A320.

Air France’s first scheduled A220-300 flight was on October 31st, the first day of the aviation winter season. According to Flightradar24, AF1734 departed CDG at 10:17 and arrived in Berlin at 11:35. Returning, AF1735 took off at 12:53 and arrived back after a flight of one hour and 25 minutes. After returning to CDG from Berlin, a return trip to Venice (AF1226/AF1227) was then operated, with the aircraft’s first day in action completed shortly after 20:00 in France.

Paris CDG to Barcelona & Madrid on day two

At the time of writing, on day two, F-HZUA has just landed in Barcelona. AF1148 took off from CDG at 07:46 and landed at 09:09. After returning to CDG, it’ll then operate a round-trip to Madrid as AF1600/1601. Slowly and surely, the A220 is increasingly being rolled out across Air France’s short-haul network.

The A220-300 will replace the A318 and A319

The A220 will primarily Air France’s fleet of 18 131-seat A318s and 30 141/142/143-seat A319s and will be vital in improving the airline’s short-haul economics. The A220 has a 4% higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) than the A318, yet 13% more seats. Meanwhile, the A220 has a 6% lower MTOW than the A319, yet around 4% more seats.

Along with much better fuel efficiency, the upgauging will play a crucial role in reducing Air France’s seat-mile costs, growing trip revenue, and helping to increase overall route performance. And while the United States dominates the use of the A220, Air France’s first example joins those operated by fellow European carriers airBaltic and Swiss.

Air France’s A220 route map this winter

In November, Air France will use the A220-300 from CDG to Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan Linate, and Venice, OAG schedules information shows. And later this winter, they’ll also be used to Copenhagen (January), Bologna (December), Lisbon (December), and Rome Fiumicino (January). Of course, additional destinations may be added before the summer 2022 season begins.

Airbus Updates No.3576

 

Airbus A330	-343	570		OO-SFK	Brussels Airlines	posn 29sep21 BRU-FRA, Eurowings cs, to be regd D-AIKA prior Eurowings Discover ops	ex D-AIKA
Airbus A330	-223	1266		VP-BUT	Nordwind Airlines	in semi-full cs at DUS 28sep21 priordelivery	ex OE-INT
Airbus A330	-343(F)	1477		D-AJFK	EAT Leipzig	delivery 01oct21 MLA-LEJ, M-reg after paint	ex M-SKAL
Airbus A330	-343	1607		HZ-NE24	Flynas	ferried 01oct21 WOE-MLA, OE-reg	ex OE-IDB
Airbus A330	-941	1987		HS-LAR	Thai Lion Air	delivery 30sep21 TLS-DMK	ex F-WWKV
Airbus A350	-941	536		JA12XJ	Japan Airlines	delivery 01oct21 TS-HND	ex F-WZHG
Airbus Canada A220	-300	55133		YL-ABF	airBaltic	delivery 01oct21 YMX-RIX	ex C-FOWY
Airbus Canada A220	-300	55134		F-HZUA	Air France	delivery 28sep21 YMX-CDG	ex C-FPBQ

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.”