The inaugural test flight of JetBlue Airways’ first Airbus A220-300 has taken place on 9th December 2020 from the Airbus Mobile Aeroplex at the Mobile Downtown Airport, Alabama.
This is the first of 70 A220 aircraft for JetBlue and is scheduled to be delivered to the New York-based airline before the end of the year, featuring a brand new tailfin livery called “Hops”, designed by JetBlue and will see a modern single-class cabin configuration.
JetBlue’s network will benefit from the A220’s combined range and seating capacity and will add flexibility, including transcontinental flight scheduling. New routes will also be feasible due to the aircraft’s unequalled economics as opposed to the airlines previous generation aircraft.
JetBlue increased its A220 order to 70 aircraft during the 2019 Paris Airshow, six months after announcing it’s initial order for 60 aircraft in January 2019.
JetBlue’s selection of the A220 aircraft in addition to its growing A320 Family fleet demonstrates how complementary these two single-aisle aircraft are working together to provide airlines with an increased network flexibility.
Benefitting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest and most ecofriendly aircraft in its category. It features a 50% reduced noise footprint and 25% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, plus 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards.
Around 130 A220s are in service at seven operators in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa, expanding the global footprint of Airbus’ latest family member.
