Airbus A220 reaches 500 deliveries: see where they fly

Airbus has delivered the 500th A220, a milestone for a program that began as the Bombardier CSeries before being taken over and rebranded in 2018. The aircraft family will also complete a decade in commercial service in July 2026, when it marks ten years since SWISS introduced the first CS100 into operations.

At the time Airbus assumed control, Bombardier had handed over just 37 aircraft — 29 CS300 and eight CS100. Since then, Airbus has delivered 464 jets, bringing the total to 501 aircraft by March 2026. Of these, 67 are A220-100s and 397 are A220-300s, confirming the strong preference for the larger variant.

The fleet in service closely tracks deliveries. By March, 497 A220s were operational worldwide, with only a single aircraft — an A220-300 operated by airBaltic — withdrawn following a maintenance-related fire. Final assembly takes place in Mirabel, Canada, and in Mobile, Alabama, in the United States.

The operator base shows a concentration among a limited number of airlines. Delta Air Lines is the largest customer, with 145 aircraft ordered and 85 in operation. JetBlue follows with 100 A220-300s, of which 61 are in service. airBaltic and Breeze Airways each operate 54 aircraft, while Air France has 55 jets flying out of 60 ordered. SWISS operates 30 A220s, and Air Canada has 42 aircraft in service.

Lessors also account for a significant share of deliveries. Air Lease Corporation, Aviation Capital Group and Azorra together represent dozens of aircraft placed with customers, showing the role of leasing companies in expanding the type’s presence.

The breakdown by variant shows how demand has shifted. Out of 959 total orders, 851 are for the A220-300, compared with 108 for the A220-100. Deliveries follow the same pattern, with 426 units of the -300 handed over against 75 of the -100.

Airlines have been drawn to the A220-300 for its combination of range and capacity. The aircraft can serve longer, thinner routes that would not justify a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, while offering better economics than older, heavier models such as the A319. This has allowed carriers to open new city pairs and adjust capacity without moving to larger narrowbodies.

Despite the steady increase in deliveries, Airbus continues to face challenges in ramping up production. The manufacturer is targeting a monthly output of 14 aircraft but remains constrained by supply chain issues. In addition, the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine recall has affected fleet availability and complicated the delivery flow of new aircraft.

The program continues to expand its global footprint, but the pace of growth is tied to how quickly Airbus can stabilize production and resolve supplier bottlenecks.