Airbus
- Delta Air Lines is the first carrier in the Americas to operate the new Airbus A220 airliner.
- The Airbus A220, which began life as the Bombardier C-Series, is a state-of-the-art, 100-to-150-seat, single-aisle airliner.
- Business Insider had the chance to experience the Delta A220's economy and first-class cabins. We were thoroughly impressed by its style, comfort, roominess, and in-flight amenities.
This month, Delta Air Lines became the first airline in the Americas to operate the new Airbus A220 airliner.
The A220, which began life as the Bombardier C-Series, is a state-of-the-art, 100-to-150-seat, single-aisle airliner. The Canadian jet is a clean-sheet design that incorporates the latest in commercial aviation technology, like a carbon-composite fuselage and fuel-sipping geared turbofan engines from Pratt & Whitney.
The plane, which entered service with Swiss in 2016, has earned praise from its operators for its exceptional fuel efficiency.
The A220 is currently assembled in Mirabel in Quebec, Canada. However, Airbus broke ground on a new A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, last month. That plant is expected to be completed in 2020.
Read more: Boeing started a trade dispute with Canada, but Airbus and Alabama ended up being the winners.
For Delta, the A220 will serve primarily on short- and medium-haul domestic routes. The airline launched service with flights from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Boston and Dallas. Depending on the route, the Airbus will replace everything from small regional jets to 160-seat McDonnell Douglas MD-88s.
Business Insider had the chance to experience the Delta A220's economy and first-class cabins. We were thoroughly impressed by its style, comfort, roominess, and in-flight amenities.
A handful of the Delta Airbus A220's amenities stood out. In a commercial airliner, some features are attributable to the aircraft, such as the size of the overhead bins and the size of its windows, while others, such as the seats and the entertainment systems, are down to the airline.
Here's a closer look at the Delta Air Lines Airbus A220's coolest features:
1. Wide economy seat: Delta's A220s boast some of the roomiest economy-class seats in the business at 18.6 inches wide. That's roughly two inches wider than the seats on some of Delta's MD-88s.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderDelta's A220 economy cabin also boasts 32 inches of seat pitch, which is the space between two rows.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
2. One middle seat: The middle seat is the least desirable place to be on a plane. Fortunately, the A220's economy cabin features only five seats per row in a 3-2 configuration.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
This means there's only one middle seat per row.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
3. Large windows: The A220's carbon-composite construction allows for the installation of larger windows than on traditional aluminum airliners.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- These are the 15 most congested cities in the US
- How to rent a car using your Costco membership
- The $446 million Airbus A380 superjumbo is the largest and most expensive airliner in the world. Take a look inside.
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