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The Airbus A220 has become one of commercial aviation’s greatest success stories. Originally developed by Bombardier as the CSeries before becoming part of Airbus in 2018, the aircraft has transformed the 100-150 seat market thanks to its excellent fuel efficiency, impressive range and passenger-friendly cabin.
Today, more than 500 A220s are flying with airlines around the world, replacing ageing Airbus A319s, Boeing 737-700s, Embraer E-Jets and regional aircraft. As Airbus continues to increase production, the type is becoming an increasingly familiar sight at airports across North America, Europe and beyond.
Here are the ten airlines operating the largest Airbus A220 fleets today.
Delta Air Lines – 87 aircraft
Delta Air Lines is the world’s largest Airbus A220 operator, flying both the A220-100 and A220-300.
The airline introduced the type in 2019 to replace older McDonnell Douglas MD-88s, MD-90s and, more recently, Boeing 717s. Today, the aircraft can be found throughout Delta’s extensive domestic network, as well as on services to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Delta has become one of the A220’s strongest advocates, praising its operating economics, reliability and passenger comfort, while continuing to expand its fleet through additional orders.
JetBlue – 65 aircraft
Photo (c) JetBlue Airways
JetBlue selected the Airbus A220-300 as the replacement for its Embraer E190 fleet, becoming one of the aircraft’s earliest major customers in the United States.
The type now serves destinations throughout the airline’s network, from the East Coast to Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Passengers benefit from JetBlue’s spacious cabin layout, high-speed Wi-Fi and seatback entertainment, while the airline enjoys significantly lower fuel consumption than the aircraft it replaced.
Breeze Airways – 57 aircraft
Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, Breeze Airways has built much of its business around the Airbus A220-300.
The aircraft’s long range and low operating costs allow the airline to connect underserved city pairs across the United States that would be uneconomical with larger aircraft. Breeze continues to take delivery of additional examples, making the A220 central to its long-term growth strategy.
Air France – 56 aircraft
Air France has made the Airbus A220-300 the cornerstone of its short-haul fleet renewal programme.
The aircraft is gradually replacing Airbus A318s and A319s on domestic French and European routes from Paris Charles de Gaulle. Alongside reduced fuel burn and emissions, passengers have welcomed the quieter cabin and improved onboard comfort.
airBaltic – 55 aircraft
Few airlines are more closely associated with the Airbus A220 than Latvia’s airBaltic.
The carrier was the launch customer for the larger CS300 (now the A220-300) and has since become the world’s first airline to operate an all-A220 fleet. Every scheduled flight across its network from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius is operated by the type, making airBaltic one of Airbus’ greatest success stories.
Air Canada – 44 aircraft
It is perhaps fitting that Air Canada is one of the largest A220 operators, given that the aircraft was originally designed and built in Canada.
The airline operates the A220-300 throughout its domestic network as well as to destinations across the United States and the Caribbean. The fleet continues to grow as older Airbus A319s and regional aircraft are retired.
ITA Airways – 31 aircraft
Anna Zvereva, CC BY-SA 2.0
Italy’s national airline has steadily expanded its Airbus A220 fleet since introducing the type in 2022.
Operating both the A220-100 and A220-300, ITA Airways uses the aircraft on domestic Italian services and routes throughout Europe. The fleet forms an important part of the airline’s modernisation programme following its transition from Alitalia.
Interestingly, ITA’s A220-100 fleet is used extensively on flights into London City Airport, with its steep approach and short runway.
SWISS – 30 aircraft
SWISS holds a special place in the Airbus A220 story as the launch operator of the original CS100.
It became the first airline to introduce the aircraft into commercial service in July 2016, several years before Airbus acquired the programme from Bombardier. Today, SWISS continues to operate both A220 variants from its Zurich and Geneva hubs on routes across Europe.
QantasLink – 12 aircraft
Robert Myers (CC-BY-SA 3.0 AU), CC BY-SA 3.0 AU
The Airbus A220 has become the newest addition to the Qantas Group fleet through its regional subsidiary, QantasLink.
Replacing the ageing Boeing 717, the A220-300 offers significantly improved fuel efficiency, greater range and a quieter passenger experience. Initially deployed on domestic Australian routes, the fleet is expected to grow substantially over the coming years.
Korean Air – 10 aircraft
Sidowpknbkhihj, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rounding off the list is Korean Air, which operates the Airbus A220-300 on domestic services within South Korea and selected regional international routes.
The aircraft provides an ideal balance of capacity and efficiency for shorter sectors while offering passengers a noticeably more modern cabin than the older narrowbody aircraft it replaced.
A Growing Global Fleet
Although originally viewed as a niche aircraft, the Airbus A220 has firmly established itself as the market leader in the 100-150 seat segment. Its combination of excellent operating economics, long range and passenger comfort has attracted airlines ranging from low-cost start-ups to major global flag carriers.
With more than 500 aircraft now in service and production continuing to increase, the A220’s influence looks set to grow even further. Airbus is also studying a larger A220-500 variant, which could extend the family’s appeal into territory currently occupied by the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8.
A recent order by low-cost giant AirAsia for 150 A220-300s will see it become the largest operator of the type once all are delivered.
