Airbus has given its newest model, the A220, a range boost that might even push it into new territories—and it’s given the plane the honor of being Airbus’s 12,000th jetliner delivery.
Airbus engineers recalculated the fuel capacity and structural integrity of the model, and were able to add 450 nautical miles, nearly 500 land miles, to the plane’s range, bringing the A220-300 to 3,350 nautical miles and the A220-100 to 3,400. That could make it the first small (100+ passenger) single-aisle plane that could serve Europe-to-Middle East or Australia-to-Southeast Asia routes.
The plane, originally developed by Bombardier as the CSeries, came under Airbus’s wing last year when Bombardier had financial difficulties. Sold as part of the Airbus line-up, it’s been enjoying strong sales, including to Delta and JetBlue in the U.S.
