In a surprising move, Airbus has revealed the renaming of the former Bombardier C Series (CS100 and CS300) to Airbus A220-100 and A220-300.
The aircraft are fully optimized for the 100 to 150 seat market and perfectly complement Airbus’ existing best-selling A320neo family.
“Everyone at Airbus has been looking forward to this historic moment. Today, we are thrilled to welcome the A220 to the Airbus family and are honoured to see it wearing its new Airbus colours for the first time,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus President Commercial Aircraft. “I pay tribute to all the women and men at Bombardier and the supply chain who have strived over the past years to bring this fantastic aircraft to the world. The A220 now enters a new phase in its career with all Airbus’ ressources behind it to further its commercial success worldwide.”
Eric Schulz, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer, added: “We are enthusiastic about incorporating the A220 in the Airbus Family. I have received positive feedback from customers, and this contributes to my optimism that within the Airbus network, we will make the A220 a great commercial success.”
The announcement comes just 6 days before important Farnborough International Airshow that will be the first public appearance of the aircraft wearing the new name and livery.
The Airbus A220 is a family of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range jet airliners. The A220 contains a high proportion of composite materials and features larger windows than usual. Compared to the cabins of other narrowbody aircraft, the A220 provides airlines with the highest overhead bin volume per passenger and a wider aisle that allows for faster boarding and disembarkation of passengers.
The A220 is made of 46% composite materials and 24% aluminium-lithium. The engine and the wings save up to 20% fuel compared with the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737NG. The A220 is 6 tons lighter than the Airbus A319neo and nearly 8 tons lighter than the Boeing 737 MAX7.