Delta Air Lines remains sole US operator of Airbus A220-100 narrowbody jet

The introduction of Delta’s order was a turning point for Bombardier but also led to controversy. Boeing filed a dumping petition in 2017 alleging that Bombardier sold jets to Delta below production cost. Despite this dispute, Delta continued expanding its commitment to the type and took delivery of its first CSeries jet in 2018.

The Airbus A220-100 can seat up to 135 passengers but typically carries between 100–120 people in two classes. In Delta’s configuration, there are 12 business class seats (Delta First), 15 Comfort+ seats, and 82 Main Cabin seats—totaling 109 seats per aircraft. The model features a range listed by Airbus at up to 3,600 nautical miles; however, Delta reports an operational range closer to 2,415 miles.

Besides being unique among US operators for flying the A220-100, Delta is also notable for having large numbers of other less common types: it is currently the largest operator worldwide of both Boeing 757-200s and Boeing 767-300ERs; it also flies more Boeing 717s than any other airline except Hawaiian Airlines.

The broader North American market has seen increasing adoption of the larger A220-300 variant by airlines like JetBlue (51 in service) and Breeze Airways (44 in service). Air Canada operates only -300 models with plans for further deliveries through at least 2027.

Since entering service in North America—first with SWISS internationally—the A220 family has seen growing popularity globally. However, sales figures show that customers favor the longer -300 variant over its shorter sibling: just over seventy -100s are currently operating compared with more than three hundred sixty -300s worldwide.

Delta mainly uses its fleet of A220 jets on routes connecting coastal hubs with high-demand domestic airports—a strategy that helps replace aging aircraft such as its own Boeing 717s or those previously used by QantasLink.