Air Canada has confirmed its third order with Airbus for A220-300 aircraft, after first announcing plans to purchase the single-aisle jet in 2016.
On December 20, 2024, five years after taking delivery of its first Airbus A220, Airbus announced in a statement that Air Canada had signed a new firm order for five more.
The initial order in 2016 was for 45 A220-300s. A reorder in 2022 committed Air Canada to 15 additional aircraft.
John Di Bert, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Air Canada said: “The A220 has delivered on its promises for Air Canada in its five years in service. It has allowed us to open new routes and better serve existing routes with an aircraft that has the right economics to support our profitable growth strategy. It is also very popular with customers.”
Di Bert continued: “We are pleased to add an additional five of these aircraft, built in Mirabel, Quebec, right up the road from our Montreal headquarters and to further support Canada’s aerospace sector.”
The additional five Airbus A220-300s will bring the total number of the aircraft type ordered to 65. According to ch-aviation, Air Canada has so far received 34 A220-300s.
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales Commercial Aircraft at Airbus said: “This is Air Canada’s third order for the A220 in a few years. We are committed to working closely with the flag carrier as we support its fleet renewal programme. The A220 is the most efficient aircraft in its size category, offering superior comfort with a spacious cabin and the range to fly numerous destinations on the carrier’s network.”
The A220 is assembled in Mirabel, Quebec, and was previously manufactured by Bombardier until Airbus took over the program.
As of the end of November 2024, Air Canada’s fleet consists of 134 Airbus aircraft, including the A320 Family aircraft, the A330 Family aircraft and the A220-300 aircraft. Air Canada also has an order for 26 A321XLRs.