Air Canada to Purchase 15 More Airbus A220

DALLAS - Air Canada (AC) announced today that it has ordered 15 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft. This brings the total number of A220s the airline has ordered from 45 to 60 aircraft.

The A220 is already an important aircraft for AC. The Canadian airline operates over 30 of these aircraft on its medium-haul network in North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands.

AC was the first operator of the type in North America, as it started the A220 service in January 2020. The aircraft are built in Mirabel (YMX), a few miles away from AC's hub in Montreal (YUL).

The Canadian airline operates over 100 Airbus aircraft, including A330s for its long-haul network and A320 family aircraft on its medium-haul routes, as well as the A220. Moreover, AC has a firm order for ten A321XLR aircraft, which will allow the airline to open new low-density routes.

The A220 is an important aircraft for AC. Photo: Casey Groulx/Airways

Comments from Air Canada, Airbus

"The A220 has become an important component in the modernization of Air Canada’s fleet and a key part of our narrowbody fleet, thanks to its performance and passenger comfort", said Mark Galardo, the Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Revenue Management at AC.

He continued, "The A220 is the perfect aircraft for our North American network thanks to its economics, and its fuel efficiency also supports Air Canada’s commitment to reduce emissions on the way to its goal of net zero emissions from all global operations by 2050"

Christian Scherer, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), said, "We are honored that Air Canada is coming back for more A220s. This demonstrates the value the aircraft is bringing and we are proud to provide our customer with a high level of flexibility, great economics, and a real passenger appeal."

He added, "With already over 30 aircraft in service with the airline, the A220 has established itself as an efficient route-opener, as well as a mainline workhorse, strengthening the carriers’ continental network while delivering on Air Canada’s ambitious decarbonization targets. We thank Air Canada for their continued trust in Airbus."

With this additional order, AC confirms its confidence in the A220, which will allow the airline to renew its medium-haul fleet and increase its capacity.