Airbus bets on clean-sheet design with A220 amid growing competition with Boeing

Airbus also emphasizes versatility and efficiency in the A220’s design. According to the company, airlines operating this jet can expect up to 25% lower operating costs per seat than previous-generation planes.

Since its introduction into service, Delta Air Lines has become the largest operator of the type with both -100 and -300 variants in its fleet. As of now, there have been 941 orders for the A220 series with 435 delivered across 24 operators worldwide.

Two main versions are available: the smaller -100 variant aimed at opening new routes or serving small markets efficiently; and the larger -300 model intended as a cost-effective alternative to jets like the A319neo. JetBlue leads among operators of the -300 version.

In addition to technical advances, Airbus is focusing on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In recent months an A220 delivery flight from Mirabel in Canada to Paris used a blend containing 50% SAF—part of Airbus’ goal for all its aircraft types to operate on 100% SAF by 2030. Blaise Brigaud, SVP Group Sustainability at Air France-KLM stated: "Fleet renewal and the use of sustainable aviation fuel are the two main levers of the decarbonization of aviation. Combining the two is only logical, and Air France-KLM is proud to participate in this Airbus milestone with the delivery flight of one of our A220s."

Despite these advances, challenges remain for continued production reliability. Notably, SWISS grounded its entire fleet briefly in October 2019 due to issues involving Pratt & Whitney engines; however inspections allowed a return within a week. In January 2025 an Air Canada-operated A220 returned safely after experiencing pressurization problems traced back to hardware failure.

Looking ahead, Airbus plans further development with an expected stretch version called A220-500 anticipated for entry into service early next decade—a move intended to compete directly against models like Boeing’s 737-800 and MAX 8.