Airbus takes small narrowbody to next level | Aviation International News

Airbus takes small narrowbody to next level

Pilot Report: Airbus A220: A clean sheet designed airliner optimized for 100-150 seats.

By Stuart “Kipp” Lau • Contributor - Safety

June 18, 2019

When Airbus entered into a partnership with Bombardier to take a majority stake in the C Series program in October 2017, the European airframer added a brand-new 100-150 seat single-aisle aircraft to its lineup. Since its tie-up, Airbus has pushed the former C Series program beyond most observers' imagination. Closing in on 550 total orders, the rebranded Airbus A220 is now demonstrating its efficiency by surpassing its original fuel savings and direct operating cost estimates with operators around the world.

This clean-sheet design was developed to tackle the lower end of the Airbus and Boeing lines, the A318 and 737-600. The C Series program received the final green light when the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan family was introduced; this development offered an “out-of-the-box” fuel savings of 15 percent. Aerodynamic efficiencies and the use of advanced weight-saving material bumped the savings up to 20 percent over legacy airliners in this space.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.