The Airbus A220 stands out in the narrowbody aircraft market not only for its efficiency and favorable operating economics, but also for a passenger experience that rivals larger aircraft. This includes everything from larger windows to quieter and more spacious cabins. For airlines with anywhere between 100 and 160 seats, the A220 also offers the flexibility of a small regional jet and a larger narrowbody, allowing it to fit seamlessly into many route networks.

As the A220 has emerged as a passenger favorite, what features make it so that the A220 has such a superior, comfortable passenger experience?

What Is The Airbus A220 Series?

The Airbus A220 represents one of the newest clean-sheet narrowbody aircraft designed in recent years. Originally developed by aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, the same manufacturer that designed the CRJ regional jet series, as well as the Global private jet collection, the A220 series was sold to Airbus in 2017 as Bombardier struggled financially. Initially paying just CAD$1, Airbus rebranded Bombardier’s CSeries, both the CS100 and CS300, as the A220-100 and A220-300, respectively.

The A220 was built as an efficient single-aisle aircraft that slots in between smaller regional jets and typical narrowbodies like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. Utilizing carbon-fiber composite materials and new-generation engines, the A220 promises a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions per seat and a 50% quieter noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. Inside, the A220 seats approximately 100 to 160 passengers, depending on the airline and seating configuration.

In addition, the A220 offers airlines tremendous flexibility, all with great operating costs and economics. Both variants have the capability to fly routes over 3,000 nautical miles (5560 km) in length, equivalent to five or six hours in the air. However, it also has the economics to operate higher-density short-haul hops, like from New York to Boston, where airlines might want more capacity than smaller regional jets, like a CRJ or ERJ, can provide.

The A220’s Spacious Cabin And Interior Design

When designing the A220, Bombardier, and later Airbus, placed the passenger at the center of the design process. This meant creating a widebody feel in a single-aisle aircraft, as Airbus describes it. Inside the A220, passengers can typically expect a 3-2 configuration in economy, with three seats on one side of the aircraft and two seats along the other. This creates a layout with half the number of middle seats onboard as on the 737 or A320. In the front, many airlines choose to install a premium cabin, usually with two seats on each side, a similar layout to most US domestic first class products.

Additionally, the A220 has one of the largest cross-sections in its class, allowing for wider economy seats that can sometimes stretch to 18.5 inches wide even with the 3-2 configuration. In terms of cabin height, the A220 is four inches (10 cm) taller than similar aircraft. Combined with straighter sidewall panels that don’t curve over passengers as dramatically, passengers often comment on how spacious the A220 feels compared to regional jets or standard narrowbodies. Commenting on the design of the A220, Jocelyn Gariépy, Airbus HO A220 Cabin and Cabin Systems Engineering, explained:

“The starting point for the ‘clean-sheet’ A220 cabin design was really the passenger. What are their needs? What do they value most? And the answer was quite simple: plenty of space, a lot of natural light, exceptional comfort, a relaxing atmosphere and a variety of on-board services.”

Building upon this, one of the most welcome features of the A220 from a passenger perspective is the aircraft’s oversized windows, the largest on a narrowbody commercial airliner. Measuring 11×16 inches, the windows on the A220 let in more light than those on a 737 or A320, creating an airier atmosphere onboard, especially on longer flights. However, despite its large window size, the A220’s windows are still smaller than those found on the 787, which have the largest windows on a commercial plane in service today.

Airbus’s Airspace Cabin’s Elevated Passenger Comfort

Building on the already well-regarded A220 interior, Airbus has introduced its Airspace cabin to the type. Starting with deliveries in 2026, newly built A220s will come with Airbus Airspace features, bringing the cabin interior in line with those of other Airbus families, such as the A350, A330neo, and A320neo. This new interior pushes the comfort already offered by the A220 even further.

Perhaps the most visible upgrade is the introduction of Airbus’ Airspace XL overhead bins. These improved bins are “20% lighter and offer a 15% increase in bag capacity,” according to an Airbus report. Additionally, Airbus touts that these new overhead bins are easier for the crew to operate, due largely to simpler mechanisms and fewer parts. This will allow passengers to unload their luggage more efficiently and aid the crew in pre-departure procedures.

The Airspace cabin also features new lighting, including an under-bin light and LED mood lighting throughout the aircraft. These lights can be changed to fit the airline’s branding and also help stimulate passengers’ body clocks, which can reduce jet lag symptoms on longer flights. The Airspace cabin is expected to be installed on aircraft this year, with options for existing A220s to be retrofitted with the new cabin features expected to begin in the coming years.

How Do Pilots Feel About The Airbus A220?

While passenger comfort is always a priority for airlines, pilot satisfaction also plays an important role in the reputation of any aircraft type. Among flight crew, pilots generally hold the A220 in high regard, particularly for its operating characteristics and fully modern cockpit. The A220 features an all-glass cockpit with fully digital displays that provide information to pilots in a more seamless, intuitive manner than on older aircraft. In addition, like all other Airbus aircraft, the A220 uses fly-by-wire flight controls, which maintain a constant flight attitude in response to pilot inputs, requiring only minimal adjustments from the flight crew.

In terms of operational capabilities, the A220 boasts a short takeoff and landing roll, allowing it to operate into smaller or more restricted airports, like London City Airport. When loaded to maximum capacity, the A220 requires a runway of around 4,500 feet (1,380 m). However, aircraft are usually not loaded to maximum capacity, giving the type the ability to fly from London City’s 5,000-foot (1,500 m) runway.

Distance-wise, both variants of the A220, the A220-100 and A220-300, offer an operational range similar to Airbus’s A320 family. The smaller A220-100 lists a maximum range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,670 km), while the larger A220-300 has a slightly shorter range at 3,400 NM (6,300 km). In comparison, the A319, similar in size to the A220-300, boasts a range up to 3,650 NM (6.760 km), while the A320 comes in at 3,400 NM (6,300 km). These performance numbers make the A220 a fun aircraft to fly, as it can handle steep departures and approaches while also capable of flying routes over 3,000 miles.

Engine Issues Continue To Plague The A220

Despite its many strengths, the A220 has not been without challenges. Since entering commercial service, the A220 has been plagued by engine issues related to its Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. More specifically, these engines, which were newly designed for the A220, require much more frequent maintenance cycles than expected. Corrosion and metal defects have led to premature wear and cracking on the engines, which has accelerated maintenance and engine replacement timelines for most A220s.

FlightGlobal data from mid-October 2025 showed that 22% of the global A220 fleet was out of service. This has caused trouble for both airlines, which cannot fly their aircraft, and for Pratt & Whitney, whose maintenance infrastructure can’t keep up with the number of engines that require service. As the only engine provider for the A220, airlines are left with few options other than continuing with more frequent maintenance cycles on the A220. In fact, some airlines like Air Austral, who operates 3 A220s, has announced its plans to retire its entire A220 fleet by summer 2026, representing a blow to the A220’s reputation.

What Airlines Fly The Airbus A220?

In early 2026, nearly 1,000 A220s have been ordered by over 30 airlines across the world. Out of the 949 orders, about half, 482 aircraft, have been delivered to their new owners. By far, the world’s largest operator of the A220 in 2026 is Delta Air Lines, with 81 deliveries and 64 orders outstanding. While Delta was the first North American operator of the A220, a handful of other US airlines have joined them in sizable commitments to the A220, including the world’s 2nd largest customer, JetBlue. With 100 orders and 59 aircraft already delivered, the A220 promises to help JetBlue in its fleet renewal efforts and will take over all the routes its fleet of Embraer E190s used to operate.

Looking outside the United States, all-A220 airline Air Baltic operates the third-largest fleet of A220s, with 50 examples in its fleet, and is tied with the US. Breeze Airways for third most A220 orders. Additionally, Air France and Air Canada both have orders in the 60s, with 60 and 65 aircraft orders respectively.

Other notable customers include Qantas (29), who will use the A220 to replace its E190s, and LOT Polish Airlines, who placed their first Airbus aircraft order and too will replace their E190s with the A220 on regional flights from Poland. Further, the launch customer for the A220, SWISS, ordered and received all 30 of its next-gen Airbus narrowbodies already, with sister airline Lufthansa (specifically its City Airlines division) awaiting 40 A220s.