Air France has received its 60th Airbus A220-300, five years after introducing the aircraft into service. The delivery fulfills the original order placed in 2019 and gives the French carrier one of the world's largest fleets of the type.
The latest aircraft, registered F-HOZJ and named Mimizan, was delivered on November 6. Its arrival follows that of the first Air France A220 in September 2021. The new jet is scheduled to enter commercial service on November 9, with a flight between Paris and Brest.
Air France ordered 60 A220-300s in July 2019, with options for 30 additional aircraft and purchase rights for another 30. Although the original firm order has now been fulfilled, the airline has already referred to a 61st A220 in its latest announcement.
The carrier says its A220 fleet has transported nearly 24 million passengers since entering commercial service in October 2021. The aircraft currently serves around 50 destinations across its European network.
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Air France is among the world's largest A220 operators, behind Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and Breeze Airways. Delta operates both versions of the aircraft, whereas the other three carriers use the A220-300 exclusively.
A220 replaces older Airbus aircraft
The A220 was selected to replace Air France's A318 and A319 fleets, along with some older A320s. Its 148-seat cabin offers more capacity than the 131-seat A318 and the 142- or 143-seat A319, but fewer seats than the airline's A320s, which accommodate between 174 and 178 passengers.
The carrier originally expected to retire its A318s and A319s by 2025. However, both models have remained in the fleet beyond that deadline, despite the arrival of all 60 A220s.
Air France still has three operational A318s, with a fourth aircraft parked since October. One A319 also remains in its fleet.
A318 flights scheduled until March
Air France was once the world's largest A318 operator, having received 18 examples since 2003. The aircraft is the smallest member of the original A320 family, with only 80 produced by Airbus.
The carrier has postponed the A318's retirement several times. In August, the last scheduled flights were extended from November 8 to March 27, 2027.
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The current timetable therefore indicates that the A318 will remain in passenger service until at least late March, provided there are no further schedule changes. Air France previously told Airliner World that it expected to retire the type during the first quarter of 2027.
The prolonged retirement has coincided with availability problems affecting the A220 fleet, particularly its Pratt & Whitney engines. However, Air France has not directly attributed the successive A318 extensions to those issues.
