Delta’s A220 has made its official debut — a moment years in the making for customers and employees across the airline.
In the early hours February 7, 2019 morning, Delta flight 744 pushed back from the gate at New York’s LaGuardia airport carrying customers for the first time on board Delta’s newest narrowbody jet, the state-of-the-art A220-100.
Terminal C was bustling with excitement as customers, employees and aviation enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the first flight’s departure.
“We have big plans for this aircraft,” said Chuck Imhof, Vice President — New York and Sales, East. “It will be an integral part of our future domestic fleet and will deliver an experience our customers will look forward to every time they fly.”
Likewise, gatehouse festivities were underway this morning in Texas, where customers and employees eagerly awaited the morning’s first A220 departure from Dallas/Ft. Worth.
“I have been with Delta for 34 years, and was in awe the first time I saw the A220. Customers will love it — it’s a spectacular plane,” said Damian Atchison, DFW-based Above Wing Customer Service Agent.
Outfitted with a state-of-the art interior, Delta’s A220 brings elements of international widebody travel to domestic routes for customers to enjoy at home.
Highlights of Delta’s A220 include:
- 109 seats total, including seating for 12 in First Class, 15 in Delta Comfort+ and 82 in Main Cabin
- State-of-the-art interior featuring seat-back screens, 2Ku Wi-Fi and among the widest seats of any narrowbody aircraft
- Thoughtful innovations like high-capacity overhead bins, extra-large windows and full-spectrum LED ambient lighting
Delta’s A220, which takes advantage of advanced technology and composite materials designed to deliver considerable improvements in fuel efficiency, is the latest investment in a fleet modernization program that aims to replace 20 percent of older, less-efficient aircraft by 2020.
Delta took delivery of its first A220 in October 2018, and recently announced an order for 15 additional A220s, extending its order book to 90 total aircraft.
Delta’s future A220 fleet will consist of 40 A220-100 series aircraft and the remaining 50 will be the larger A220-300 variant. Delta anticipates taking its first delivery of the A220-300 in 2020.
“These additional A220 aircraft will continue to strategically enable Delta to refresh our fleet, drive further advances in the customer experience and serve as an excellent investment for our customers, employees and shareowners for Delta into the next decade,” said Gil West, Delta’s Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to taking our first A220-300 in 2020 at the Airbus assembly facility in Mobile, Alabama.”
Delta expects all 90 A220 aircraft to be delivered by the end of 2023. The A220-300 aircraft will be configured with 130 seats and offer First Class, Delta Comfort+ and main cabin options for customers.
Source : Delta Airlines
