9/16/2013: First Flight of Bombardier CSeries

DALLAS — On September 16, 2013, Bombardier's CSeries aircraft, designated as the CS100 (FTV1), completed its maiden flight at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport (YMX) in Quebec. 

This milestone marked the first flight of what would later become the Airbus A220, a family of narrow-body airliners. The flight initiated a series of test phases and reconfigurations, with FTV1 flying again after upgrades on October 1 of the same year.

The CSeries, initially launched by Bombardier Aviation in 2008, faced delays in its planned entry into service. It eventually entered commercial operations with Swiss Global Air Lines in July 2016. 

A longer variant, the CS300 (later rebranded as A220-300), flew in February 2015 and entered service with airBaltic (BT) by December 2016.

In 2018, Airbus acquired a majority stake in the CSeries program, rebranding it as the Airbus A220 and creating a joint venture known as Airbus Canada Limited Partnership (ACLP). 

This venture expanded production facilities to Mobile, Alabama, while retaining the main assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec. As Bombardier exited the program in 2020, Airbus increased its stake to 75%, with the remaining share held by Investissement Québec.

Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines, the A220 features advanced technologies, including fly-by-wire controls, carbon composite wings, and an aluminum-lithium fuselage. 

Known for its fuel efficiency and optimized aerodynamics, the aircraft family offers a range of 3,450 to 3,600 nautical miles. Since its introduction, the A220 has earned positive feedback for its fuel performance, reliability, and passenger comfort. 

By June 2024, the global fleet had completed over 1.22 million flights.

The featured image shows the CS100 taking off for its maiden flight from YMX in Quebec on September 16, 2013.