Latest news with #A220s
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
See inside a JetBlue Airbus A220, the versatile jet now running its longest route yet for the airline
Airbus exhibited a JetBlue A220 at June's Paris Air Show. The same month, JetBlue began its longest route using an A220 — between Boston and Vancouver. Vancouver and Boston are about 2,500 miles apart, and the flight can take up to six hours. JetBlue previously operated this route until last September using the larger Airbus A321. According to data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium, this is also the fifth-longest A220 route in the world. The title belongs to Air Baltic's 2,684-mile journey between Dubai and Latvia. A splash of colour and the airline's logo made boarding feel more welcoming than a barebones plane. Blue lighting throughout the cabin also added to the atmosphere on board. JetBlue says the custom mood lighting changes through the day. With a more spacious cabin than competing aircraft, the A220 is configured in a rare 2-3 layout. Cabins like this used to be more common on old airplanes like those made by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997. There are fewer than 100 Boeing 717s still in service, a jet which was originally known as the MD-95. Other than the A220, Russia's Superjet 100 is the only jet still being built with a 2-3 layout. And yet, the seats are still quite large. JetBlue says the A220 has the widest coach seats of any single-aisle aircraft, measuring 18 inches. Couples or solo travelers might also like the fact that there are fewer middle seats. The first four rows are dedicated to premium seats. In addition to up to seven inches of extra legroom, "EvenMore" comes with early boarding, free alcoholic drinks, and priority security at some airports. There are also another couple of rows by the overwing emergency exits, for a total of 30 premium seats. The relatively large cabin also means there's plenty of overhead bin space — with more improvements on the way. The coach seats offered fairly generous legroom. The pitch, which is the distance between the same spot on one seat and the one in front, is 32 inches. That's typically among the most you can find in economy. I was also impressed by JetBlue's in-flight entertainment system. JetBlue also offers free WiFi, and its A220s have USB-C, USB-A, and AC power for charging. It also has live TV on all of its planes, although this type has only 18 channels compared to over 100 on its A321s. Delta only has live TV on select planes, excluding its A220s. Two bathrooms at the rear were also more spacious than I expected. The A220 was first built by Bombardier, but Airbus bought the program for 1 Canadian dollar. Before it was the A220, it began as Bombardier's CSeries program, which launched in 2008. The plane entered service in 2016. It was already facing financial difficulties due to overspending, development delays, and stiff competition with the Boeing 737-700. Then, in 2017, Boeing accused Bombardier of unfairly trying to increase its market share by selling dozens to Delta for less than their production cost, a practice known as dumping. The US government then imposed duties totaling 292%. It said around 80% was due to the dumping petition and the rest due to subsidies by the Canadian government. Bombardier rejected the allegations at the time and said: "The magnitude of the proposed duty is absurd and divorced from the reality about the financing of multibillion-dollar aircraft programs." In October, Airbus paid 1 Canadian dollar to take a controlling stake in the program in 2017, renaming it the A220 a year later. It also agreed to build many of the planes at its production line in Mobile, Alabama. Since Donald Trump announced his tariff plan, trade deals with the UK, European Union, and Brazil have included exemptions for planes.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Boeing CEO cancels air show appearance visit after India crash
Boeing and GE Aerospace are scaling back their public activities following the fatal crash of an Air India jetliner, with the planemaker's CEO canceling his trip to the Paris Airshow next week and GE postponing an investor day. More than 240 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 jet bound for London crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to staff on Thursday evening that he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope had canceled plans to attend the Paris Airshow 'so we can be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation.' The air show, which runs from June 16 to June 20 at Le Bourget, is the global aviation industry's largest trade show, where many aircraft orders are typically placed by airlines. Ortberg had been due to attend for the first time as Boeing CEO since being appointed to lead the company out of a series of back-to-back safety, industrial and corporate crises. Aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace, whose engines were in the Boeing 787 plane, had planned an investor day on June 17 coinciding with the show. GE said the briefing had been cancelled and it would put a team together to go to India and analyse data from the crashed airplane. 'GE Aerospace's senior leadership is focused on supporting our customers and the investigation,' the company said. It said it planned to give a financial update later this month. Safety experts stressed it was too early to speculate why one of the world's most modern airliners should crash shortly after take-off. Accidents in that phase of flight are rare, said Paul Hayes, safety director at UK consultancy Cirium Ascend. Most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors. Under globaviation al rules, India will lead the probe with support from NTSB investigators in the United States, who will in turn liaise with Boeing and GE on technical matters. The reduced attendance plans came as delegates said the crash had cast a somber mood over the air show, putting in doubt several order announcements and putting safety back in the spotlight alongside concerns over US tariffs. The world's largest aviation trade expo, running from June 16 to 20 in Le Bourget, usually gives aircraft and arms manufacturers a key stage to showcase deals and sets the tone for a global supply chain already under pressure from shortages. Boeing shares were down Friday, falling 3.8%, while GE Aerospace was down 2.4%. Boeing has cancelled some events and is unlikely to make any commercial order announcements at the show, though it will press ahead with low-key briefings on other topics, delegates said. One key expected announcement had been a potential order for dozens of Boeing jets including the 787 from Royal Air Maroc. But the airline plans no announcement at the show and this will also affect Airbus which had been expected to win sell it some 20 A220s, industry sources said. None of the companies had any comment on specific deals. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on Friday expressed condolences over the accident and the world's largest planemaker was expected to observe a muted tone surrounding what had been expected to be a busy week for orders to meet high demand. One delegate said business would continue but with fewer of the high-profile press conferences and in-person announcements associated with the industry's biggest commercial showcase. Another said some order announcements could be delayed until later in the year as a mark of respect for victims. 'The show will be a lot more sombre, less celebratory,' said a delegate involved in planning one such announcement, speaking anonymously because the plans have not been publicly revealed. 'The show will go ahead as planned, but it will be more subdued and with less cheerleading,' the delegate said.
New Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Airbus posts higher first quarter profits
AMSTERDAM: The European aviation company, Airbus, said on Wednesday that its first quarter net income rose to €793 million (US$899 million) or €1.01 per share, up from €595 million or €0.76 per share last year, the German news agency (dpa) reported. Adjusted Earnings Before Interest and Taxes or EBIT rose by 8 per cent to €624 million from €577 million last year. Reported EBIT dropped by 22 per cent to €473 million from €609 million. Consolidated revenues for the first quarter rose 6 per cent to €13.542 billion from €12.83 billion last year. A total of 136 commercial aircraft were delivered compared to 142 aircraft in the prior year. The deliveries comprise of 17 A220s, 106 A320 Family, four A330s and nine A350s. -- BERNAMA-dpa
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Fears for 2,000 staff as historic Belfast aviation factory as Airbus signs deal with Boeing
Thousands of jobs are in limbo after Airbus signed a deal to buy part of a historic Belfast aviation firm. The deal will see up to 1,500 jobs transfer from US owner Spirit AeroSystems to Airbus. But another 2,000 staff face an uncertain future as part of the business remains up for sale. It is the latest chapter in the saga of the Shorts plant which first opened in Belfast in 1936 but has gone through the hands of various owners in recent years. Trade union Unite called on the Government to intervene to secure jobs as well as the future of Northern Ireland's aerospace industry. And Alan Perry, senior organiser at the GMB union, said: 'We will fight tooth and nail to protect and maintain jobs for future generations.' The deal is part of a carve-up of Spirit, a major supplier to the global aviation industry, between America's Boeing and Europe's Airbus. Airbus is buying Spirit plants in the US, France and Morocco as well as Northern Ireland, and the Prestwick plant in Scotland. The Prestwick factory, which employs 1,100 staff, also faces uncertainty as Airbus said it would 'assess the long-term strategy for the site'. Spirit bought the Shorts business in Belfast five years ago from Canada's Bombardier. It employs around 3,500 people. Around 1,000 are involved in wing manufacturing and assembly for the Airbus A220 aircraft while 500 work building fuselages for A220s. Those jobs are expected to transfer to Airbus, though a final consultation will arrive at the final total. Spirit said it expected 1,200 jobs to transfer, implying some of those jobs may be lost. The non-Airbus part of the Belfast site, employing 2,000 people, remains up for sale. If no buyer is found, the jobs would transfer to Boeing. Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Hundreds of highly skilled Spirit workers are facing an uncertain future. 'The Government must now intervene to secure not just the workers but the future of Northern Ireland aerospace.' Unions and workforce representatives will travel to Westminster tomorrow to make their case to MPs and ministers. Industry minister Sarah Jones said: 'We know this will be a concerning time for Spirit workers and their families who may be affected.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Breeze Airways responds to FAA corrosion concerns on Airbus A220 aircraft
VERO BEACH — Breeze Airways flights at Vero Beach Regional Airport will be unaffected by the corrosion issues discovered on Airbus A220 passenger jets. The Federal Aviation Administration announced that inspections had found corrosion on seat fittings and wing-to-body fairings on a number of A220s. Fairings are non-structural aircraft components meant to minimize drag where the wing and body meet. Breeze is aware of the issues, but does not anticipate grounding flights, according to Communications Specialist Ryne Williams. However, the Utah-based airline is proactively checking its fleet of 34 A220s, and monitoring FAA updates. The A220 is Breeze's most utilized aircraft. More: Indian River County identifies first nine properties it wants to buy as conservation lands More: Customs facility at Vero Beach Airport set to open soon; could boost local economy 30% If corrosion was found, the FAA instructed all A220 operators to address the issue. It also stated that the corrosion does not affect airworthiness or safety. From Vero Beach, Breeze flies to Hartford, Connecticut; Islip, New York; Newburgh, New York; New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Washington, D.C., which continues to Ogdensburg, New York; and White Plains, New York. Nick Slater is TCPalm's Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at and 224-830-2875. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Breeze Airways does not expect issues with corrosion on Airbus A220
