Air France has taken the delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 to join the company’s fleet of its short and medium-haul network. Since introducing the Airbus A350 on its long-haul network, the company is continuing its fleet renewal and by 2025, will have integrated the 60 A220-300s ordered in 2019 to gradually replace its Airbus A318s and A319s as well as several Airbus A320s. This order, said to be the largest from a European customer, includes an additional mix of 30 options and 30 purchase rights.
The aircraft is named “Le Bourget” in homage to the town north of Paris, which is deeply linked to the aviation industry.
From October 31, 2021, the Airbus A220-300 will fly to Berlin (Germany), Barcelona and Madrid (Spain), Milan-Linate and Venice (Italy) from the Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. During the 2021-2022 winter season, the aircraft will gradually extend its network to Bologna and Rome (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Copenhagen (Denmark).
The Airbus A220-300 is well-suited to Air France’s short and medium-haul network. It provides a cost reduction per seat of 10 percent compared to the Airbus A318 and A319 and consumes 20 percent less fuel than the aircraft it replaces. Its carbon dioxide emissions are also reduced by 20 percent and the noise footprint is 34 percent lower. These characteristics are aimed at reducing Air France's environmental footprint and achieving its sustainable development objectives. By 2030, the airline aims to reduce its overall CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 50 percent compared to 2005, or 15 percent in absolute terms.
The Air France Airbus A220-300 has 148 seats, in a three-two seat configuration (five seats across) offering 80 percent of customers a window or aisle seat. It offers two travel cabins, Business and Economy, and access to “Air France Connect,” the airline’s in-flight Wi-Fi service.
The seat is 48 centimeters wide and reclines to 118 degrees. It has an adjustable headrest and leather upholstery. A wide solid tray table, cup holder, a pouch for storing magazines and books, individual USB A and C ports and tablet or smartphone holder integrated into the backrest complete the package.
The cabin is decorated in the Air France signature colors. Large panoramic windows provide natural light for the duration of the trip. From boarding to landing, specially adapted cabin mood lighting settings create bright, dynamic lighting for the welcome and disembarkation phases and softer lighting for a more relaxed atmosphere during the flight.
As on the entire Air France fleet, the air in the cabin is renewed every three minutes thanks to a High Efficiency Particulate Air-type filter air recycling system that claims to eliminate 99.9 percent of particles and viruses.
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