Latvian airline airBaltic has confirmed an order for 10 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing its total firm order to 90 planes.
The latest purchase, announced on 13 August 2024, marks airBaltic’s fourth reorder of the A220 model. The carrier is currently the largest A220 customer in Europe and the biggest A220-300 operator globally, with a fleet of nearly 50 aircraft.
Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic, said the order is a significant milestone for the company.
“For the first time in the company’s history, airBaltic plans to operate a fleet of close to 100 A220-300 aircraft, and these exercised options are the next step in the right direction,” Mr Gauss said.
He highlighted the A220’s proven operational capabilities and its integral role in airBaltic’s international success.
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President Sales of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, welcomed the order as a strong endorsement of the A220’s value and operational opportunities.
“The A220 is quite simply the most efficient aircraft in its size category, with a spacious cabin driving the best Net Promoter Scores with passengers wherever it is operated,” Mr de Saint-Exupéry said.
airBaltic has a long history with the A220-300, having been the launch customer in 2016. Since 2020, the airline has operated an A220-exclusive fleet.
The A220 is designed to carry between 120 to 150 passengers on flights of up to 6,700 km. Airbus claims the aircraft offers 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft.
As of the end of July, Airbus had received over 900 orders for the A220 from around 30 customers, with about 350 aircraft delivered. The A220 is currently in service with more than 20 operators worldwide on over 1,400 routes.
