Delta Air Lines confirms order for 12 more Airbus A220 aircraft

US carrier, Delta Air Lines, has lodged an order for 12 extra A220-300 Airbus aircraft, bringing its total firm order for A220s to 131, comprising 45 A220-100s and 86 A220-300.

Throughout the years, Delta has reordered the A220 five times and is today the largest A220 customer and operator in the world.

Kristen Bojko, Delta’s vice president of fleet, said: “The A220-300 offers efficient performance and flexibility. The continuing expansion of Delta’s A220 family is an integral investment in the future of sustainable aviation.”

Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international, said: “This additional order from the largest A220 customer and operator is yet another strong endorsement for the value and opportunities offered by this latest generation aircraft family.

“The A220 provides Delta the flexibility to right-size its operations, gaining in efficiency and offering superior single-aisle comfort. In service with Delta, the A220 has proven to be a game changer in its size category in highly competitive North America markets.”

In addition to its positive cabin experience, the aircraft plays an important role in helping decrease airline operating costs and environmental impact.

Offering 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared with previous generation aircraft, the A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market.

Combining state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF engines, the A220 brings customers a 50% reduced noise footprint and around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards.

Delta took delivery of its first Airbus A220 in October 2018, and was the first US carrier to operate the aircraft type. Delta currently operates a fleet of 433 Airbus aircraft, including 61 A220 aircraft, 280 A320 family aircraft, 64 A330s and 28 A350-900 aircraft.

To date, more than 90 million passengers have flown on the A220. The fleet is currently flying on more than 1,100 routes and in excess of 375 destinations worldwide. As of the end of June 2023, around 30 customers have ordered more than 800 A220 aircraft – confirming its leading position in the small single-aisle market.

Airbus employs around 4,500 staff at its Broughton plant, near Chester, making wings for all its commercial aircraft.