All About the A220
Early Days
The concept for what would become the A220 began at Bombardier Aerospace in the early 2000s. The company saw a market gap between regional jets like the Embraer E-Jets and smaller mainline aircraft like the Boeing 737-600 and Airbus A318.
Bombardier proposed a new aircraft family, the BRJ-X (Bombardier Regional Jet eXpansion) , aimed at replacing aging DC-9s, Fokker 100s, and smaller 737 variants, in 2003. However, the idea was shelved due to financial constraints and lack of demand.
The following year, Embraer saw widespread success with the E-Jet family. Bombardier was forced to think of something to stay competitive. The BRJ-X project was revived as the C-Series, with a focus on fuel efficiency and the use of composite materials.
In March of 2005, Bombardier signed a deal with Pratt & Whitney , which was developing a new Geared Turbofan engine âthe PW1000Gâwhich would bring about significant fuel savings. Bombardier simultaneously formally launched the CSeries feasibility study, with two models, the CS100 (100â125 seats) and the CS300 (120â145 seats).
In 2007, the company secured a $350 million investment from the Canadian and QuĂ©bec governments to support development (which would take place near Montreal). On July 13, 2008, the Bombardier CSeries program was officially launched*at the Farnborough Airshow, with Swiss International Air Lines as the launch customer. Orders began rolling in in 2008, but that yearâs financial crisis hampered demand.
On September 16th, 2013, the first CSeries flight test vehicle (FTV1) took off from Mirabel, Québec. Progress was generally on track, but delays due to engine-related issues and software refinements cropped up, which pushed further flight testing.
Airbus Takeover
In April 2017, Boeing filed a trade complaint with the U.S. Commerce Department, accusing Bombardier of selling the CS100 below cost to Delta Air Lines. The DOJ and Trump Adminstration sided with Boeing, imposing a 219.63% tariff on each CSeries aircraft imported to the US in September 2017, effectively killing its market potential in the US. Bombardier requested a $1 billion bailout from the Quebec government, which it received after âtenseâ negotiations, in exchange for the government getting a 49.5% stake in the CSeiries.
Airbus had long been interested in Bombardierâs work, seeing the CSeries as a perfect fit below the A320neo, and, on October 16th, 2017, Airbus announced it would acquire a 51% stake in the CSeries programâwithout paying a cent. Final assembly of U.S.-bound CSeries aircraft would move to Airbusâ Mobile, Alabama facility, bypassing U.S. tariffs.
With Airbusâ backing, orders surged, including major deals with JetBlue and Air France-KLM, and in 2019, Airbus got a 75% stake in the A220 Program, effectively pushing Bombardier out of any control. By 2020, Bombardier had exited the program entirely, making Airbus the sole owner.
The A220 Today
As of March 2025, there are 403 A220 family aircraft in service with 20 commercial operators. The five largest A220 operators (across all variants) are Delta Air Lines, airBaltic, JetBlue, Air France, and Breeze Airways. The A220 has 904 firm orders from 33 customers, the vast majority of those (806) being for the larger of the two variants, the A220-300.
Engine Woes
Unfortunately, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the A220. In the initial phases of deployment, airlines experienced significant engine durability problems. For instance, airBaltic reported that the PW1500G engines initially remained operational on-wing for only about 150 hours due to combustion and heat exchanger issues. Although improvements have been made, with some engines reaching nearly 5,000 hours, the average remains around 2,200 hoursâway lower than the 23,000 hours typical of older engines like the CFM56. In early 2025, airBaltic had to suspend 19 routes during the peak summer season due to ongoing and unresolved engine issues. Hopefully, Airbus and Pratt & Whitney can get this fixed soon, since it's definitely a major headache.
What Makes the A220 Such a Good Aircraft?
The A220 is one of the most efficient aircraft on the market. The Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines reduce fuel burn by 25% compared to older aircraft like the Boeing 717 and early 737 variants. The jet is made up of over 70% aluminum-lithium and composites, making it lighter then its competitors (and thus more fuel efficient).
The A220-300 can fly up to 4,000 nautical miles (about the distance between Los Angeles and Bogota and London to Muscat), making it ideal for fairly long routes with low demand. It can be used to fly Transatlantic routes, something that Breeze Airways has expressed interest in doing.
From a passenger perspective, itâs a really nice ride. The new engines and improved soundproofing make it 50% quieter than older aircraft, and its 2-3 standard seating configuration is more comfortable, since it reduces the number of middle seats. Those nice engines also make the famous âwhaleâ sounds caused by pressure changes in the engineâs combustion chamber. At 19 inches wide, A220 economy seats are the widest in any narrowbody aircraft, beating out the A320neo (18 inches) and 737 MAX (17.3 inches), according to SeatGuru (though the specific numbers obviously depend on the operator).
Sources & Further Reading
Simple Flying
Airbus
Delta Air Lines
CBS News
NPR News
Pratt & Whitney
The Wall Street Journal
Reuters
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