Delta Air Lines appear to be happy enough with the Airbus A220 family – to the point where they have ordered additional aircraft to their fleet.
Delta Airbus A220 – Image, Airbus.
The order will bring Delta’s total commitments to the A220 to 90 aircraft in total (up from the original 75 when it was known as the Bombardier C Series).
In the first instance, the airline will be taking delivery of the smaller A220-100 (CS100). The airline has converted 50 of its outstanding orders to the larger A220-300 (CS300).
This will split the Delta A220 fleet to 40 A220-100 and 50 A220-300 aircraft.
Airbus is planning to assemble the A220-300 aircraft at its plant in Mobile, Alabama which will be adjacent to the existing Airbus A320 assembly line. Construction of the new assembly facility is due to commence later in January 2019.
In Quotes
Gil West, Delta’s Chief Operating Officer stated
“These additional A220 aircraft will continue to strategically enable Delta to refresh our fleet, drive further advances in the customer experience and serve as an excellent investment for our customers, employees and shareowners for Delta into the next decade,”
“We look forward to taking our first A220-300 in 2020 at the Airbus assembly facility in Mobile, Alabama.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer said:
“Delta has always been deeply focused on the passenger experience, and the A220 fits perfectly with that philosophy,”
“You just need to take a look at Delta’s cabin on the A220 to see it’s setting a new standard in short-haul flying. The A220 will provide passengers with a level of comfort and convenience that makes flying a pleasure again, while meeting Delta’s high standards for efficiency and reliability.”
Scaling up the A220
Whilst not exactly unexpected, it’s welcoming to see the A220 gain further traction. The cabin does offer some unique benefits (depending on how it’s outfitted), with airlines taking imaginative implementations (such as Delta’s own configuration for the aircraft).
It’s interesting to see the orders stack up for the A220-300. With the majority of the order book sliding towards the larger frame, it will chew into Airbus’s own lineup – namely the Airbus A319 and A319neo…
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