Airbus has marked a new milestone in the A220 program ‒ the 100th aircraft produced for a customer. The jet will go no other than the variant’s launch customer airBaltic, which used the occasion to also unveil its new, improved livery.
airBaltic is preparing to take yet another delivery of a new Airbus A220-300 airplane, which is already the 21st in its fleet. The aircraft, registered as YL-AAU, features an “improved” livery. Take a look at it in the gallery below.
airBaltic is a faithful and vocal A220 customer. Back in May 2018, it decided that 20 planes of the type are not enough, placing an additional order for 30 jets. The YL-AAU is going to be the first delivery of that new batch.
The Latvian airline also hopes to receive one more Airbus jet by the end of 2019, and to grow the fleet to 26 by the end of the following year, before eventually turning into an all-A220 operator by 2023.
It took the first Airbus A220-300 (at that time Bombardier CS300, registered as YL-CSA) on November 29, 2016. Commercial operations officially began a week later, on December 14, 2016, on a route between Riga and Amsterdam.
Apparently, the carrier never regretted the decision. “The Airbus A220-300 has performed beyond the company’s expectations, delivering better overall performance, fuel efficiency and convenience for both passengers and staff,” is noted in a statement by the airline.