AirAsia has placed an order for a 150 A220-300 aircraft – the largest single firm order placed for the A220 thus far.
The contract, which was announced during a ceremony at the Airbus facility in Mirabel, will propel the company’s programme beyond the 1,000 firm order milestone.
Those present during the ceremony included Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group and Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. The event took place in the presence of the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada and the Honourable Christine Frechette, Premier of Quebec.
The order marks the first time AirAsia has ordered a A220, and will also see the airline become the launch customer for the aircraft’s new cabin configuration of 160 seats – 10 more than the previous layout. This has been made possible by the addition of an extra overwing exit on each side of the aircraft.
Once delivered, the A220 will serve to complement AirAsia’s existing Airbus fleet and will play a key role in advancing the Group’s network and growth. The aircraft will service destinations across ASEAN and into Central Asia, freeing up larger aircraft to fly longer routes.
Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor to Air Asia Group, said:We have built AirAsia by making bold decisions at the right moment, not the easiest moment. This order reflects our long-term discipline and the scale of our ambitions. The A220 unlocks new markets and routes and brings us closer to building the world's first true low-cost network carrier.
Capable of carrying between 100 and 160 passengers on flights of up to 3,600 nautical miles (6,700km); the A220 is the most modern airliner in its size category, and has thus far been supplied to 25 operators worldwide. It is also capable of operating with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
