Air France has received its first Airbus A220-300 from an order for 60 aircraft of the type, the largest A220 order from a European carrier. The aircraft was delivered from Airbus’ final assembly line in Canada and officially unveiled to the public during a ceremony held at Paris Charles-De-Gaulle Airport.

The A220 is the most efficient and flexible aircraft in the 100 to 150 seat market segment and the renewal of the Air France single-aisle fleet with this latest-generation aircraft will increase efficiency along with customer comfort and help Air France to meet its environmental goals and sustainability objectives.

The first Air France A220-300 will be operated on its medium-haul network from the 2021 winter season. The airline currently operates a fleet of 136 Airbus aircraft. It is also renewing its long-haul fleet, and has already taken delivery of 11 A350s out of an order of 38.

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together ‘state of the art’ aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation geared turbofan engines.

With a range of up to 3,450nm, the A220 gives airlines added operational flexibility and delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous generation aircraft - making the A220 a good neighbour around airports.

As of the end of August, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 11 operators worldwide.