Malaysia-based low-cost airline, AirAsia, has placed a landmark order for 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The purchase agreement (valued at approximately US$19 billion at list prices) is the largest single firm order placed for the A220 to date. Deliveries are due to begin in 2028.
The order also marks the A220-300 passing 1,000 firm orders, a milestone for Airbus’s 100 to 160-seat narrowbody aircraft.
AirAsia is a new customer for the A220, and is launch customer for the aircraft’s new 160-seat cabin configuration option, designed for the cabin capacity requirements of low-cost carriers. The option adds 10 passenger seats, the required space created by adding an extra over-wing exit on each side of the aircraft.
The seating for the A220s could potentially be supplied by Mirus Aircraft Seating Malaysia SDN BHD, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Mirus Aircraft Seating. AirAsia was the launch customer for Mirus’s Hawk short-range economy seat for its A320neos and A320s.
AirAsia regards the A220 as a highly scalable product, offering a seamless path to the future A220-500 variant to meet evolving capacity needs and serve as the successor to the airline’s aging A320s in the similar capacity range of 180+ seats.
The contract was announced at a ceremony at Airbus’s facility in Mirabel, Quebec, by Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and advisor to AirAsia Group, and Lars Wagner, CEO for commercial aircraft at Airbus. Also in attendance were the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, and the Honourable Christine Frechette, Premier of Quebec. The AirAsia order is good news for the Quebec economy, as two of the three A220 final assembly lines are in Mirabel (the third is in Mobile, Alabama, USA).
“The A220 will provide an optimal platform for AirAsia, combining low operating costs with the range that will enable the carrier to open new routes across Asia and beyond,” said Airbus’s Lars Wagner. “Airbus and AirAsia teams have been working tirelessly to reach this landmark agreement, which is fully aligned with the airline’s new network strategy.”
Wagner is referring to the A220’s range of up to 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km), and Airbus’s claim that is has the lowest fuel consumption (and widest cabin in its class).
AirAsia says the A220 will play a key role in advancing the Group’s network and growth, serving destinations across ASEAN and into Central Asia and opening up smaller, high-growth markets and secondary hubs that were previously commercially unviable.
“This plane gives us the ability to build the biggest and densest network, serving as a vital tool for efficiency,” stated Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Group. “Its range of up to 7 hours opens up entirely new possibilities, and allows us to match right-sized capacity to demand and give our guests the flexibility to fly whenever they want through increased frequencies.”
The A220s will also free-up larger aircraft in the AirAsia fleet to fly longer routes. AirAsia’s all-Airbus fleet comprises A320-200, A320neo and A321neo aircraft, with A321LRs and A321XLRs on order.
“In an environment of high fuel prices and volatility, the answer is not to stand still, it’s to double down on efficiency. This aircraft materially improves our fuel burn and trip costs, strengthening our resilience regardless of where the cycle goes. We never waste a crisis at AirAsia – we make bold decisions at the right moment, not the easiest moment. This order reflects our long-term discipline and the scale of our ambitions. The A220 unlocks new markets and routes and brings us closer to building the world’s first true low-cost network carrier,” said Tony Fernandes.
“Our partnership with Airbus spans more than two decades and has been central to everything we have achieved. Today is another milestone in that journey, and there are many more to come.”
