The first A220 ordered by Air France left the Airbus paint shop in Mirabel, near Montreal, Canada. The aircraft, registered as F-HZUA, sports Air France contemporary colors but also features the winged seahorse, the airline’s historical symbol, at the front of the fuselage and on the engine nacelles.
This Airbus A220 is the first of an order of 60 aircraft placed by Air France in December 2019. The new fleet is destined to replace the airline’s A318s and A319s on the short and medium-haul network. According to the carrier, the Airbus A220 will use 20% less fuel than its predecessors thanks to the use of lighter composite materials.
In July 2021, Air France-KLM Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith approached both Boeing and Airbus for an order of around 160 aircraft to renew and expand the medium-haul fleet of KLM and Transavia.