Australian flag carrier Qantas has taken delivery of its first new generation Airbus A220, becoming the 20th operator of the type.
The aircraft is the first of 29 A220s ordered by the Qantas Group for operation by QantasLink, their regional airline that services metropolitan and regional destinations across Australia.
Featuring a unique livery based on an Aboriginal artwork, the aircraft will depart the Airbus final assembly line in Mirabel in the coming days for a delivery flight to Sydney, with stops in Vancouver, Honolulu and Nadi.
The A220 will gradually replace the existing 717 fleet at QantasLink.
Flying twice as far as the 717, the A220 can connect any two points across Australia nonstop, while also bringing a significant 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft, says manufacturer Airbus.
With a total of 137 seats, Qantas’ A220s will be configured in a two-class layout seating 10 passengers in business class and 127 in economy class.
Powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, the A220 has a range of up to 3,450 nautical miles or 6,390 kilometres.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A220 is already able to operate with up to 50 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The European aircraft producer aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with 100 per cent SAF by 2030.
Airbus has received close to 850 orders from 30 customers for the A220, of which over 300 have been delivered worldwide.
Qantas also has A321XLRs, and long-haul A350-1000s on firm order from Airbus, as well as more 787-9s and 787-10s from competing US manufacturer Boeing.
