AirAsia has placed a firm order for 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, marking the largest single firm order for the Airbus A220 programme to date. The deal also pushes the A220 programme beyond the 1,000 firm order milestone globally.
The announcement was made at Airbus’ A220 facility in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, where the aircraft for non-US customers are assembled. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also welcomed the deal, describing it as the “largest order of commercial aircraft ever assembled in Canada”.
AirAsia is also the launch customer for the A220’s new 160-seat cabin configuration which offers 10 extra seats. This is made possible by the extra overwing exit on each side of the aircraft.
The A220 would also be the smallest aircraft on AirAsia’s fleet. It will serve destinations across ASEAN and into Central Asia, freeing up larger aircraft to fly longer routes.
The A220 is often seen as a potential game changer for low-cost carriers as it is optimised for “long and thin” routes where passenger demand may not be sufficient to justify operating a larger Airbus A320-family aircraft. Compared to larger narrowbody jets, the A220 promises lower operating costs while still providing enough range for regional and medium-haul routes.
For Airbus, the order is a significant boost for the A220 programme which competes directly against Embraer’s E2 family of regional jets. Airbus has been ramping up A220 production as demand grows for more fuel-efficient aircraft in the 100- to 150-seat segment.
The Airbus A220 is a narrowbody aircraft with a five-abreast seating layout in economy class. The aircraft was originally developed by Bombardier as the CSeries programme before Airbus acquired a majority stake in July 2018 and rebranded it as the A220.
According to Airbus, the A220 is the most modern airliner in its size category combining longest range, lowest fuel consumption and widest cabin in its class. It can carry up to 160 passengers on flights of up to 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km). At the end of March 2026, 501 A220s had been delivered to 25 operators worldwide.
In a report by Reuters, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said that he believes Airbus will make a larger A220-500 variant with 180 seats that would replace Airbus’ current A320 family. He said the plane was built to be stretched by Bombardier and AirAsia is ready to order 150 if Airbus builds it.
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