Article by Celian Genier and Dillon Shah.
Air Canada has officially unveiled its newest aircraft type, the Airbus A220, at an event in Montreal today. The first aircraft, registered C-GROV, was presented to media guests at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport (YUL). Air Canada took delivery of its first Airbus A220 on December 20, 2019.
Air Canada will launch the Airbus A220 into commercial service on January 16 on a service to Calgary. Featuring a brand new ‘modern, spacious news cabin interior,’ the airline says in its press release, the aircraft type is set to become a major player within Air Canada’s fleet. The Canadian flag carrier placed the order for 45 Airbus A220s back in 2016, valued at US$3.8 billion at list prices.
CEO of Air Canada, Calvin Rovinescu said: “This is an historic moment for Air Canada as we welcome the Airbus A220 into our fleet. We are the first airline in Canada to operate this next-generation aircraft which was designed by Bombardier in Mirabel, Quebec. Our customers will enjoy a level of comfort unrivalled on a single-aisle aircraft and the A220’s operating efficiencies promise meaningful environmental and cost benefits. The arrival of the first of our order for 45 A220’s, with a list price value of US$3.8 billion at the time it was made, underscores our contribution to Canada’s aerospace industry and its economy.”
The carrier says that the Airbus A220 is ‘destined to be extremely popular with customers’ as it offers a 20% decrease in fuel consumption per seat. As mentioned, the Airbus A220-300 will initially be deployed on a flight to Calgary on January 16. The carrier’s first few aircraft will continue to operate similar, existing, Canadian and transborder routes. This includes flights to Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and New York – La Guardia from the airline’s Montreal and Toronto hubs.
On May 4, 2020, Air Canada will launch two new Airbus A220-operated routes, from Montreal to Seattle and Toronto to San Jose. The new routes are a testament to Air Canada’s commitment to introducing the Airbus A220-300 as a major player within its fleet.
Mark Galardo, Vice President of Network Planning at Air Canada said: “The A220 will allow Air Canada to further strengthen our position on transborder and transcontinental market and be instrumental in our continued growth. The A220 will allow us to further expand our North American network, offering customers new routes and more robust year-round schedules.”
Galardo added that the new Airbus A220 will offer passengers a ‘virtually seamless cabin experience’ with service and comfort levels comparable to that of a widebody aircraft.
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