The Airbus A220 has proven to be a versatile aircraft,
offering unbeatable fuel efficiency, long-range, and a comfortable cabin.
This success has led to a lot of interest in a higher-capacity stretched version of the A220.
The idea of an A220 stretch isn’t new. Both Airbus and Bombardier (who designed
the A220 as the CSeries) have considered the idea. This aircraft, known as the A220-500,
would build upon the aircraft’s success, stretching the fuselage and adding more seats.
While this would slightly impact range, it would still offer excellent efficiency
Bombardier expected the aircraft’s fuselage to be stretched when it manufactured the plane. In fact,
this was quote-unquote ‘flown’ in simulations using a High-Performance Computer (HPC).
Bombardier already had these results on hand, having tested the then CS500 in the HPC.
While no statistics are public, we could expect the A220-500 to seat around 165 passengers
(up from the -300’s capacity of 120-150 passengers).
However, Airbus has gone a step further and even requested renders of an A220-700,
-900, and even a -1000! While these are unlikely to ever come into production,
it does underscore what Airbus is considering for the future of the A220.
A stretch is definitely on the cards, just how much is yet to be decided!
It has been a concern that a prospective A220-500 would compete directly with the A319neo,
which is already struggling to gain traction. Any longer and the A220 could even come up
against the A320neo. However, Airbus does have a reason to continue exploring the A220 stretch.
This year’s pandemic has shown how susceptible airline fleets can be to a downturn. Airlines
with all-widebody fleets were left struggling as everyone parked up their large planes.
Only a handful of aircraft types remain in very active use today,
and they all have one thing in common: efficiency.
The A220 is undeniably the winner of this pandemic. Our analysis showed that nearly the
entire global A220 is in the sky right now, with only 6% of planes parked as of August. The plane’s
efficiency and long-range has allowed airlines to substitute larger aircraft on key routes, keeping
them in the sky while others remain on the ground. In a statement to Bloomberg,
Airbus’ Narrowbody Marketing Chief said, “In a pandemic, airlines go for the most
efficient, lowest cost. This was the aircraft of choice, it was flying around most of the time”.
In an interview with Simple Flying, airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss confirmed that his airline is
very interested in an A220-500. This is because airBaltic recently became an all-A220 airline
and a stretched version of the plane would allow for more seats on high-demand routes.
Maintenance costs could also be kept low since the plane is from the same family.
European giant Air France-KLM has also signaled that it would be keen to see
a stretched version of the A220. The group sees the aircraft as a great way to overhaul
its short- and medium-haul offerings in the coming years. Currently, Air France has an
order for 60 A220-300s and options for 60 more, with deliveries starting next autumn.
While there is great interest and potential for an A220-500, Airbus is not looking to invest in
the new aircraft just yet. This is mainly due to the manufacturer’s current financial situation.
In a statement at Aviation Week webinar, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Americas, Jeff Knittel, said
“Under Bombardier, there was a lot of discussion about the -500 and the
potential. That potential exists today, but it is not a priority. We have a lot on our plate.
We are focused on cash preservation ourselves.”
It’s very likely that Airbus will consider the variant once the market picks up and demand rises.
An optimistic timeline would be 2024 but we don’t know anything for certain yet. We
may not see the stretch A220 soon but we likely will at some point!
What do you think about Airbus making an A220-500? Let us know in the comments!