Airbus expects the 160-seat version of the A220-300 to be certified in 2028, according to Johan Pelissier, president of Airbus's Europe region and head of commercial for Europe. Speaking on the sidelines of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) general assembly in Belfast, Pelissier said certification will be led by Transport Canada, and that interest from European airlines in the higher-capacity variant is strong.
Ten more seats from a second overwing exit
The A220-300 is currently limited to 149 seats, with conditions set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Airbus plans to lift that ceiling to 160 by adding a second overwing exit on each side of the fuselage, which allows more passengers to be carried under evacuation rules.
AirAsia is expected to be the launch customer. The Malaysian group ordered 150 A220s in May, specifying the 160-seat configuration.
"I would say 30-40% of the campaigns I'm following in the European region may be interested in the 160 seats," Pelissier said, according to Aviation Week. ch-aviation reported the figure as more than a third of current European campaigns.
Calls for a stretch
Customers are also pushing for a bigger A220. AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes wants a 185-seat stretch, tentatively referred to as the A220-500, and Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada and Lufthansa have also expressed interest in a larger model.
"We see the market demand," Pelissier said. He added, however, that Airbus will focus first on ramping up production of the existing A220-100 and A220-300 before committing to a new variant.
Production ramp-up
Airbus is targeting a production rate of 13 A220s per month by 2028. The manufacturer delivered 75 A220s in 2024 and 93 in 2025. Its backlog stands at about 1,000 A220-300s and about 100 of the smaller A220-100s, showing how heavily the order book is weighted toward the larger model.
To support the higher rate, Airbus announced in August an expansion of the A220 wing facility in Belfast, adding 6,221 square metres (67,000 square feet) of space. The extension is due to be completed in the first half of 2028, the same year Airbus aims to reach rate 13 and to certify the 160-seat version.
Engine spares problem easing
The A220 is powered exclusively by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofans, and operators have been hit by aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situations linked to engine inspections and a shortage of spare engines after Pratt & Whitney's powder-metal issues. Pelissier said the situation is improving. "Next year, we shall have no more AOGs due to engine lack of spares," he said.
Why 160 seats matters
For European airlines, the step from 149 to 160 seats would lower the cost per seat on the A220-300 and narrow the gap to larger single-aisle jets such as the A320neo family. That economics argument helps explain why Pelissier sees interest from a large share of the region's sales campaigns.
Certification through Transport Canada reflects the A220's origins as the Bombardier CSeries, which was designed and is still assembled at Mirabel near Montreal, with a second final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.
Sources: Aviation Week, ch-aviation, DJ's Aviation.
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