First Peek at Delta A220
THE FIRST Airbus A220-100 for Delta Air Lines has rolled out of the paint shop at the final assembly line in Mirabel, Canada. Delta was the first US airline to order the A220, and will join existing operators, including airBaltic, Swiss International Air Lines and Korean Air.
Delta’s fleet management team project manager Larry Cato commented: “There’s nothing like seeing years of planning come together in the shape of a freshly painted aircraft. It’s a major milestone for the future of our fleet.” The Atlanta-based carrier hopes to place the new narrowbody into service in early 2019 following a series of initial test flights and staff training. The company has a total of 75 A220-100s – previously known as the Bombardier CS100 – on order, together with options for a further 50, making it the largest single purchaser for the type to date.
JetBlue is due to accompany Delta in the US A220 club, following an order announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July. The New York-based carrier signed a deal for 60 A220- 300s, with deliveries due to begin in 2020, on top of options for 60 additional aircraft beginning in 2025. According to the Airbus website, as of August 31, 2018 there wer…
