Delta Receives First Airbus A220

Delta Air Lines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 at a ceremony in Mirabel, Québec.

The aircraft, one of 75 Delta has on order, will enter service in January after familiarisation and crew training.

“We have big plans for our A220 fleet and are confident that Delta customers and Delta people alike will be delighted with the in-flight experience provided by this thoroughly modern and efficient aircraft,” the airline’s chief executive Ed Bastian said. “The A220 will serve as the cornerstone of our future domestic growth.”

Delta’s A220s will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines, designed to deliver a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

“When a great airline like Delta puts a new aircraft into service, the entire industry takes note. The A220 team is gratified by the confidence that the Delta family has placed in this aircraft,” president of Airbus's commercial aircraft business Guillaume Faury said.

Delta plans to introduce the A220 on flights from its New York LaGuardia hub to Boston Logan and Dallas/Ft. Worth airports from January 31.

The A220 was formerly the Bombardier C Series, renamed after Airbus assumed control of the programme earlier this year. It is available in two sizes, the 108 to 133-seat A220-100, previously the CS100, and the 130 to 160-seat A220-300, formerly the CS300.