Airbus has been hinting at the possibility of launching a stretched version of its A220 aircraft, the A220-500. The Airbus A220 family, initially designed by Bombardier Aerospace as the CSeries, is a twin-engine narrowbody family with a typical capacity of 100 to 160 passengers.

The shortest A220-100 seats 100 to 130, and the longer A220-300 seats 130 to 160 passengers. Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines, the aircraft provides an approximate flying range of 3,500 NM (6,400 km).

The possibility of a stretched A220-500 could bring the passenger capacity in the range of 180 to 200 passengers. The new variant may feature up to six additional rows of seats and could have a similar range.

Future prospect for Airbus

Airbus could use the potential stretched version to replace the aging A320 design. While the A320 family has a very strong order book at the moment, Airbus is already considering its offerings in the latter part of the decade. The manufacturer has been eyeing the opportunity to introduce a stretched A220 version since the program venture with Bombardier. Speaking to Airlinerratings, the Airbus CCO, Christian Scherer, commented,

“It’s not a question of if, but when a stretched A220 will become the successor of our narrowbody A320 family, these plans have existed since Bombardier started initial designs for the CSeries.”

Many existing Airbus and Boeing narrowbody customers have shown interest in the future stretched version. As an A220-300 customer, Air France has shown significant interest in the further stretch of the A220-300 (-500) as a future replacement for the A320 family.

Airbus A220 – A significant advantage

Both Airbus and Boeing have successfully introduced two of the most efficient aircraft, the A320neo family and the Boeing 737 MAX, respectively. Both the manufacturing giants took a shorter way around their new designs. Boeing kept the 1960s design of the 737 while incorporating improved wings and efficient engines on the 737 MAX. Similarly, Airbus retained the 1980s A320 design and improved on control surfaces and introduced fuel-efficient engines.

In comparison to the two popular narrowbodies, the Airbus A220 family has a significant advantage. The A220 is a brand-new clean-sheet design launched within the last decade. That means it has superior technology, machining, and materials. The A220 produces up to 20% lower carbon emissions and has a 34% lower noise footprint than the competition.

Airbus Canada Limited (a current joint venture between Airbus and the Government of Quebec) also claims that the A220 has approximately 10% lower operating cost than the A320 family. This is mainly due to the newer, more-efficient design of the A220 aircraft.

It looks like Airbus is waiting for the right time to launch a new A220 variant. With the existing A320 backlog, and its focus on ramping up production capabilities for the A220, it may take some time. As the backlog clears and new orders start to dwindle, Airbus is likely to introduce the replacement of its iconic narrowbody, the A320.

Do you think Airbus should launch the stretched A220 version? If so, when do you think would be the best time? Tell us in the comments section.

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  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker