Australia’s national carrier has taken delivery of its first new generation A220, becoming the 20th operator of the type. The aircraft is the first of 29 A220s ordered by the Qantas Group for operation by QantasLink, the company’s regional airline that services metropolitan and regional destinations across Australia.
Featuring a unique livery based on an Aboriginal artwork, the aircraft will depart the Airbus final assembly line in Mirabel in the next few days for a delivery flight to Sydney, with stops in Vancouver, Honolulu and Nadi.
The A220 will gradually replace the existing 717 fleet at QantasLink. Flying twice as far, the A220 can connect any two points across Australia non-stop, while also bringing a significant 25% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft.
The A220 also has the largest cabin, seats and windows in its class, offering passengers superior comfort. With a total of 137 seats, Qantas’ A220s will be configured in a two class layout seating 10 passengers in business and 127 in economy.
Specifically designed for the 100-150 seat segment, the A220 is the most modern airliner in its size category. Powered by the latest generation Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, it can fly up to 3,450 nautical miles or 6,390km non-stop.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A220 is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030.
Airbus has received close to 850 orders from 30 customers for the A220, of which over 300 have been delivered worldwide.
Airbus
Consider a free digital subscription
If you find this article informative, consider subscribing digitally to Aerospace Manufacturing for free. Keep up to date with the latest industry news in your inbox as well as being the first to receive our magazine in digital form.
