Airbus’ European Region President and Head of Commercial, Johan Pelissier, has said that a 160-seat variant of the Airbus A220-300 will be certified in 2028. The certification is expected to be led by Transport Canada, with the Malaysian airline AirAsia as Airbus’ launch partner. Despite reports of strong market interest in the new aircraft, airline bosses have continued to suggest they would prefer a 185-seat variant of the jet.
How has Airbus Added More Seats?
Current variants of the A220-330 only feature 149 seats.
The manufacturer has reportedly increased the aircraft’s capacity by adding an extra overwind exit on each side of the A220-300’s fuselage.
This is to allow for the aircraft to obtain an increase capacity, without breaking the European Union Air Safety Agency’s restrictions on evacuation pathways and emergency exits.
Pelissier told the General Assembly of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), that he expects the government department Transport Canada to certify the new model for commercial use in 2028.
Airbus had previously expanded the A220-300 from a 145-seat configuration to its current 149-seat configuration in July 2021.
Who is Purchasing the New Aircraft?
Pelissier is confident of attracting buyers for the new A220-300 variant across Europe.
He told ERA’s General Assembly that,
“I would say 30-40% of the campaigns I’m following in the European region may be interested in the 160 seats.”
Airbus’ reported launch partner AirAsia is believed to have ordered 150 of the newly reconfigured jets.
Despite this large order, AirAsia’s management remain eager for Airbus to invest in even larger variations of the A220.
The airline’s CEO Tony Fernandes has said that, a stretched variant of the A220, which could hold up to 185 seats, is “the aircraft we really want.”
Pelissier did not rule out developing this kind of aircraft when asked about it at the ERA General Assembly.
“We see the demand” he said. “First, we’ll focus on the -100 and -300 ramp up, and then we will decide when and if we will launch it. But it’s more a question of when.”
Airlines including Delta Air Lines and the Lufthansa Group have also expressed their interest in purchasing a 185-seat A220-300.
How Popular is the A220-300?
Variants of the Airbus A220-300 have been in commercial use since February 2015.
There are reportedly 469 of the aircraft currently in operation, across 23 different carriers, with the -300 accounting for as much as 88% of all A220 sales, as recently as November 2025.
The U.S. airline JetBlue is the largest user of A220-300 aircraft, with 67 currently in service.
The AirAsia group currently has 111 A220-300 jets in service across its airlines, with 54 being used by the AirAsia airline itself.
The order for 150 of the 160-seat variant of the A220-300 AirAsia placed in May 2026 is by far the largest order Airbus has received for its A220 fleet this year.
Have you flown an Airbus A220-300 jet? Do you think increasing the number of seats will make them more popular? Let us know in the comments.
