Monthly Archives: September 2021

Eurowings to fly from Hamburg to Beirut

Eurowings made this announcement:

From November 7, 2021, Eurowings will be launching a new service, flying nonstop for the first time from Hamburg to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Every Sunday, an Airbus A320 will take off from the Hanseatic city at 7 a.m. and land in the Lebanese metropolis at 12.10 p.m. The return journey is on the same day, departing at 1.00 p.m. and landing in Hamburg at 4.35 p.m. From 17 December, the frequency will even be doubled and will be offered on Fridays and Sundays. All flight times are local times.

Eurowings has already been flying from Berlin and Düsseldorf to Beirut since December 2020. Hamburg is now the third direct connection between Germany and Lebanon in the Eurowings route network.

US-Bangla Airlines is selling three DHC-8-400s

US-Bangla Airlines, the Dhaka, Bangladesh-based carrier, has appointed global aviation services group ACC Aviation as remarketing agent to dispose of three de Havilland Dash 8-Q400 turboprops. The aircraft (MSN 4034, 4044 and MSN 4058) all built in the early 2000s, will be disposed of, along with an extensive list of DHC-8-Q400 spares and components as a packaged transaction.

US-Bangla Airlines has an extensive scheduled passenger network, operating a mainstay fleet of ATR 72-600’s and Boeing 737-800s.

JetBlue arrives at London’s Gatwick Airport

JetBlue Airways today announced it has expanded its presence in the transatlantic market with new, nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

LGW joins LHR as JetBlue’s entry points into the United Kingdom.

All aboard! Our first flight to London Gatwick takes off tonight. 🇬🇧✈️ Now you can enjoy a sky-high experience at a down-to-earth fare to both Gatwick AND Heathrow. Book now: https://t.co/ynjwsfTDLD pic.twitter.com/TV9pe6RfVy

— JetBlue (@JetBlue) September 29, 2021

The first customer-carrying JetBlue flight from the U.S. touched down at Gatwick just before 8 o’clock this morning, local time. The flights – which operate four times weekly in October, then daily onward from November – arrive well timed for the long-awaited easing of U.S. entry requirements for travelers from the U.K. and other European destinations.

Schedule between New York (JFK) and London Gatwick (LGW)

JFK – LGW Flight #43	LGW – JFK Flight #44
7:50 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. (+1)	12:00 p.m. – 3:33 p.m.

Gatwick is the second busiest U.K. airport and provides JetBlue with an important presence where it can attract a new base of travelers. JetBlue will operate from the North Terminal.

Airbus Aircraft

The A321LR platform – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft – allows JetBlue to effectively compete, with award-winning service and low fares on flights between the U.S. and London. JetBlue converted 13 aircraft in its existing A321 order book to the LR version in April 2019 with the ability to convert more. Additionally, JetBlue has converted another 13 aircraft in its existing order book to the Extra-Long Range – or XLR – version of the A321.

The A321LR allows JetBlue to tap into new long-haul markets, like London, that were not previously accessible with the airline’s existing fleet. The LR’s range of up to 4,000 nautical miles is made possible by three additional center fuel tanks and the aircraft delivers 30 percent fuel savings and nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generations of aircraft. JetBlue is also the global launch partner for the new Airspace by Airbus cabin, bringing long-haul style to the A321 for the first time ever.

JetBlue’s A321LR is powered by two Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. The GTF engine, with its revolutionary geared fan technology, is transforming aviation by delivering game-changing economic and environmental performance. The Pratt & Whitney GTF engine also incorporates advances in aerodynamics, lightweight materials and other major technology improvements.

Tonight’s the night! We’re taking off on our first flight from NYC to London—and you can take a mini-tour of our new Airbus A321LR right now. More at https://t.co/ynjwsfTDLD. pic.twitter.com/h6dBY9VSG6

— JetBlue (@JetBlue) August 11, 2021

Alaska Airlines introduces a second Airbus A320 Giants logo jet

Alaska Airlines, the official airline partner of the San Francisco Giants, is taking postseason celebrations to new heights with the debut of its new Giants-themed livery. Just in time for the Giants’ upcoming playoff run, the Airbus A320 aircraft (N855VA) was introduced on September 29 to fans departing San Francisco (SFO) for Seattle/Tacoma (SEA).

San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds signs Alaska Airlines’ new Giants-themed aircraft at San Francisco International Airport

This is the second livery dedicated to the San Francisco Giants. The plane, tail number N855VA, will fly throughout Alaska’s network now through 2022. The new Giants-themed livery is one of many ways guests can celebrate the team’s playoff run. Alaska just announced that fans who wear Giants’ apparel can board early for all San Francisco departing flights for the duration of the team’s postseason play.

Alaska employees dedicated the plane along with a $100,000 check to the Willie Mays Scholarship Fund, in honor of the ‘Say Hey Kid’s’ 90^th birthday. The fund assists in making college aspirations come true for San Francisco’s Black youth and empowers them to pursue their goals to achieve success in high school, college and beyond. Terminal 2 flyers were also treated to a surprise celebration complete with DJ entertainment on-site, prizes, giveaways and a visit from the Giants’ mascot “Lou Seal” joining in on the festivities.

The Giants-inspired wrapped aircraft and early boarding are among many ways Alaska is deepening its presence in the Bay. Alaska recently unveiled a new premium Lounge at SFO. The 9,200 square feet Lounge features Bay-inspired amenities and top-notch hospitality – giving Alaska and oneworld guests a comfortable place to work and relax. The Lounge also features the first and only co-branded professional sports-themed Lounge space in the country. A treat for young Giants fans, the space includes a children’s play area featuring baseball-themed games and art celebrating mascot Lou Seal.

Alaska Airlines unveils new San Francisco Giants livery with celebration at San Francisco International Airport featuring Giants mascot “Lou Seal”

San Francisco is Alaska Airlines’ third largest hub. With 108 daily flights to 39 destinations to and from San Francisco, go ahead and cross something off the wander-list today with Alaska including popular flights to Maui, Cabo, Anchorage and San Diego. Starting Dec. 18, sun seekers can escape winter doldrums and enjoy three new nonstop destinations south of the border from SFO – Loreto, Mazatlán and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo.

JetBlue accelerates transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

JetBlue Airways today announced plans to speed up its transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with an offtake agreement with SG Preston, a leading bioenergy developer. With the addition of this SG Preston agreement to its previous SAF commitments, JetBlue is well ahead of pace on its target to convert 10 percent of its total fuel usage to SAF on a blended basis by 2030. The airline will reach nearly eight percent SAF usage by the end of 2023 when delivery of SAF under this agreement is expected. JetBlue is doubling its previous SAF commitment with SG Preston, which was first announced in 2016 as one of the largest SAF purchase agreements in aviation history.

JetBlue’s agreement with SG Preston also marks a major milestone for SAF in New York’s airports. This deal is expected to bring the first large-scale volume of domestically produced SAF for a commercial airline to New York’s metropolitan airports. JetBlue will convert 30 percent of its fuel buy across John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from traditional Jet-A fuel to SAF (b), which is expected to reduce emissions by an estimated 80 percent per gallon of neat SAF, compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels.

Targeting a start in 2023 and continuing over a 10-year period, SG Preston will deliver at least 670 million gallons of blended SAF to JetBlue to fuel its flight operations at JFK, LGA and EWR, helping JetBlue avoid approximately 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. JetBlue expects to invest more than $1 billion in purchasing SAF over the term of this agreement, at a price competitive to traditional Jet-A fuel, with no expected material impact to the airline’s total fuel costs. This marks the largest-ever announced near-term SAF deal for delivery in the Northeast and will be become the airline’s largest single jet fuel contract.

“We are well past the point of vague climate commitments and corporate strategies. Earlier this year, we set specific, dated, and aggressive emissions targets. And now we are physically changing the fuel in our aircraft to meet these commitments,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “At JetBlue, we’re heavily investing in SAF because we see it as our most promising means of rapidly and directly reducing aircraft emissions in the near-term. With this expanded agreement with SG Preston, nearly eight percent of JetBlue’s total fuel use will be SAF, putting us well ahead of pace in reaching our goal of 10 percent SAF usage by 2030.”

Sustainable aviation fuel is jet fuel produced from biological resources that can be replenished rapidly and without impacting food supply. Compared to traditional petroleum-based Jet-A fuel, renewable options can significantly reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants such as particulate matter and sulfur oxides. Safety is JetBlue’s number one priority, and SAF is functionally equivalent to conventional Jet-A fuel, posing no discernible difference in safety or performance. The fuel is fully compatible with existing jet engine technology and fuel distribution infrastructure when blended with fossil jet fuel, and is tested and transported the same way as regular Jet-A fuel.

SG Preston has made significant progress on a new facility in the Northeast to produce SAF at a large scale. SG Preston’s HEFA- (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) based renewable jet fuel will be sustainably produced from waste fats, oils, greases, and non-food oilseeds. The fuel is expected to receive sustainability certification from ISCC, an independent, global certification body for sustainability and carbon reduction. SG Preston’s process utilizes industry-leading refining process technology, which has been FAA-approved for commercial flying since 2011. This SAF will be blended with Jet-A fuel at an estimated 30 percent blend ratio before being transported to JFK, LGA, and EWR.

“The SG Preston-JetBlue relationship is the blueprint for a balanced partnership designed to achieve both the airline’s and global aviation’s sustainability and pricing goals. The reality of achieving the US sustainability target of approximately 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2050 is daunting. Engaging with, and addressing the concerns of all key stakeholders and contributors to the solution, is paramount to successfully reaching this target. JetBlue’s continued commitment to SG Preston’s development strategy illustrates continued confidence in our unique approach to this challenge. We’re honored by this demonstration of trust,” said Randy Delbert Letang, CEO of SG Preston.

JetBlue’s SAF Strategy

JetBlue’s revised deal with SG Preston is its third agreement for SAF. JetBlue recently entered into a new relationship with World Energy and World Fuel Services and began flying with SAF at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in July 2021. Additionally, JetBlue partnered with Neste in August 2020 to fuel its flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with SAF. JetBlue’s SAF strategy was developed with support and consultancy from energy market experts at ICF.

While JetBlue views SAF as the most promising solution to rapidly and directly reduce aircraft emissions in the short and medium term, it is one piece of its larger decarbonization strategy including aircraft efficiency, fuel optimization, sustainable aviation fuel, electric ground operations, technology partnerships and carbon offsetting.

Hayes continued, “We recognize that airlines have a responsibility to decarbonize our operations and usher in an era of truly sustainable travel. We are therefore stepping up as an industry with commitments and clear actions. However, we can’t do it alone. In order for our industry to meet our ambitious targets, we are asking for collaboration and leadership from our key stakeholders – fuel suppliers, aircraft and engine manufacturers, and governments to play a critical role in helping the drive toward net zero.”

JetBlue’s Commitment to Grow Sustainably in New York

New York is JetBlue’s home and where more than 7,000 of its crewmembers live and work. The airline is experiencing significant growth in New York, and furthering plans to substantially increase flying and bring more low fares and jobs to JFK, LGA and EWR as part of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines. As JetBlue increases its presence and brings more air service to the region’s three airports, it is more important than ever to grow sustainably.

With a focus on more sustainable operations, JetBlue was recently selected for a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s transportation electrification initiative for electric ground service equipment (eGSE) at EWR. With this grant, JetBlue will convert 38 ground service vehicles to electric, and install 16 dual-port charging stations, with additional support from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Following this conversion and one in process at Boston Logan International Airport, JetBlue will have converted 39 percent of these three vehicle types to electric. This is significant progress towards JetBlue’s eGSE goal to convert 40 percent of its bag tugs, belt loaders, and pushbacks network wide to electric by 2025, and 50 percent by 2030.

Additionally, JetBlue is making significant updates to T5 by upgrading the entire terminal to LED lighting solutions provided by Brightcore Energy, a premier provider of turn-key energy efficiency projects from lighting to solar, renewable heating & cooling, EV chargers, and battery storage. The T5 upgrades will reduce JetBlue’s lighting-related energy use by approximately 66 percent, based on current usage. The project will have a significant impact, saving more than 2.1 million kWh annually, while improving aesthetics, lowering energy costs and reducing the terminal’s carbon footprint.

“We applaud JetBlue’s commitment to convert 30 percent of its fuel demand from traditional jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel across the three major New York airports. This latest initiative from JetBlue is a critical step towards accelerating the production and adoption of SAF in the northeast, and achieving the associated environmental benefits in our region,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY & NJ. “This initiative advances our continued collaboration with JetBlue on important sustainability measures, including energy efficiency upgrades and electrifying ground support equipment at our airports.”

JetBlue’s Focus on the Environment

JetBlue depends on natural resources and a healthy environment to keep its business running smoothly. Natural resources are essential for the airline to fly and tourism relies on having beautiful, natural and preserved destinations for customers to visit. The airline focuses on issues that have the potential to impact its business. Customers, crewmembers and community are key to JetBlue’s sustainability strategy. Demand from these groups for responsible service is one of the motivations behind changes that help reduce the airline’s environmental impact.

Top Copyright Photo: JetBlue Airways Airbus A220-300 (CS300 BD-500-1A11) N3008J (msn 55099) (Hops) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 953426.

JetBlue aircraft slide show:

Air New Zealand is adding “red flights” between Australia and New Zealand in December

Air New Zealand made this announcement:

The ‘red’ (quarantine) flights will sit alongside the current ‘green’ (quarantine free) flights available in the booking system and will be labelled accordingly. The airline’s ‘red’ services flight numbers will start with NZ8, the ‘green’ services will start with NZ1. Please refer to the below schedule for further information.

As quarantine-free travel with Australia is paused up until the end of November, the airline still has green (quarantine-free) flights available to book from December. However, these flights will be cancelled if the quarantine-free travel pause is extended. If customers currently booked on a green flight wish to transfer their booking to a red flight, we recommend they go online to put their flight into credit and then use the credit to rebook onto a red service.

December red flight schedule:

Flight number	Route	Day of week	Departure time	Dates
NZ840	BNE-AKL	Sat	11:40am	11 Dec, 25 Dec
NZ846	BNE-AKL	Tue + Sat	3:40pm	4 Dec, 7 Dec, 14 Dec, 18 Dec, 21 Dec, 28 Dec
NZ864	SYD-AKL	Fri	12:45pm	3 Dec, 10 Dec, 17 Dec, 24 Dec, 31 Dec
NZ862	SYD-AKL	Mon + Thu	2:45pm	2-30 Dec
NZ886	MEL-AKL	Wed + Sun	12:20pm	1-29 Dec

Top Copyright Photo: Air New Zealand Boeing 777-319 ER ZK-OKN (msn 38406) LHR (Andi Hiltl). Image: 955314.

Air New Zealand aircraft slide show:

Condor to fly to New York, will also fly to Nice and Málaga next summer

Condor will be flying to New York five times a week from November 11, 2021: JFK Airport will be served nonstop from Frankfurt every Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Condor already flies four times a week to Seattle/Tacoma on the west coast of the U.S., from where our partner Alaska Airlines provides convenient onward travel to more than 30 destinations such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco or to Hawaii.

In other news, Condor announced for the summer of 2022, it will be flying to two more Mediterranean destinations.

From April 1, 2022 Condor will fly four times a week from Düsseldorf and Frankfurt to Nice (France) and from April 9, 2022 four times a week from Düsseldorf to Málaga.

Top Copyright Photo: Condor Flugdienst Boeing 767-330 ER WL D-ABUH (msn 26986) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 954850.

Condor aircraft slide show:

Emirates unveils an A380 “Dubai Expo” special livery, will restore the Gatwick route on December 10

Emirates, the Premier Partner and Official Airline of Expo 2020 Dubai, has revealed a head-turning A380 livery dedicated to further carrying the global event’s messages worldwide.

The special livery is painted on the pictured A6-EEU.

A bold departure from the airline’s traditional white and gold paint scheme, this bright blue aircraft livery features large-scale graphics in vivid green, orange, pink, purple and red, which run across the fuselage and all the way up to the tail and fin interlaced with the distinct ring-shaped Expo 2020 Dubai logo. Special ‘Dubai Expo’ and ‘Be Part of the Magic’ messages run across both sides of the A380 fuselage. The engine cowls also carry the Expo 2020 Dubai messages and dates of the event.

In addition, the brave Burj Khalifa stuntwoman who appeared in the recent viral Emirates ad, carries an invitation to visit the event on both sides of the aircraft, holding a message board that says: ‘See you there’ and ‘Dubai Expo Oct-Mar 2022’.

The iconic Emirates red belly branding, which can be only seen when the aircraft is flying overhead, has been replaced by the opportunity themed orange ‘Dubai Expo’ branding, further increasing the event’s visibility and awareness as it flies to the airline’s A380 network over the course of the next 6 months.

The new A380 livery was designed, painted, produced and installed in-house by the teams at Emirates. The livery was not just a decal, but a complete paint project, and is by far the largest one the airline has ever embarked on. A great deal of planning and ingenuity was involved to ensure the distinct livery design was brought to life and flawlessly executed.

The paint on A6-EEU, the aircraft chosen for the livery, was completely stripped. After that, eleven colors were applied on the aircraft in a careful, methodically sequenced manner. A ‘wild spray method’, electrostatic spray guns and conventional cup guns were used to put on the different colors, using over 2,500 sqm of tracing and masking material. All of the stencils and tracing guides were produced in-house by the airline’s UV printer and graphics workshop, and took numerous hours to fabricate and complete. The Emirates Engineering Aircraft Appearance Centre teams skillfully worked through the challenges of fine-tuning the outlines and masking to convert the designs onto a three dimensional aircraft, in addition to managing the contrasting colors and intricate background shades in this unique livery.

Decals were then applied on the engine cowls and, as well as the image of the Emirates Cabin crew holding the message boards adjacent to the aircraft’s exits.

The process of painting the livery design and applying the decals took 16 days and 4,379 man-hours to complete.

Emirates has a long tradition of showcasing special liveries on its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, and in the last five years alone, close to 50 unique designs and 100 liveries have been brought to life by the team at the airline. Special liveries have helped pay a special tribute and carry the legacy of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; bring sports fans closer to their favorite clubs, players and global tournaments; spread the UAE’s message of tolerance and multi-culturalism; raise awareness of the illegal wildlife trade, and much more. The innovative work done on the liveries has kept travelers, plane-spotters and the general public looking to the skies for inspiration.

The new Expo 2020 Dubai livery will appear on three Emirates A380 aircraft to help visually tell the story and reaffirm the themes of one of the largest global events to take place since the onset of the pandemic. The distinctive blue Expo aircraft will join the 40 other special liveries dedicated to Expo 2020 Dubai, which have collectively flown to over 130 destinations across the Emirates network since 2018.

The new livery will wow travelers and drive the Expo 2020 Dubai message when it heads to Los Angeles on 29 September.

Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and will run from October 2021 to March 2022. Its six-month program is packed with experiences to suit all ages and interests, including a rich line-up of themed weeks, entertainment, and edutainment. Art and culture fans as well as food and technology enthusiasts can explore exhibits, workshops, performances, live shows and more. Visitors can also drop by their national pavilion for a taste of home or experience the 190 other country pavilions. Emirates will be showcasing its own pavilion focused on the future of commercial aviation.

In other news, the company will restore the Dubai – London Gatwick route on December 10.

Lufthansa Cargo puts two more Boeing 777Fs into service, will retire the last MD-11F on October 15

Lufthansa Cargo’s fleet has grown by two Boeing 777 freighters. The aircraft have just been registered D-ALFJ and D-ALFK and are based at the airline’s home hub, Frankfurt Airport.

With the two new additions, Lufthansa Cargo’s Frankfurt fleet now numbers eleven Boeing 777 freighters, in addition to the capacity of four aircraft of the same type operated by the AeroLogic joint venture.

D-ALFK is a brand-new aircraft from the Boeing facilities in Everett, Washington State and touched down for the first time at Frankfurt Airport at 06:00 a.m. local time today. With this acquisition, Lufthansa Cargo has now exercised all of its purchase options held on widebody freighters with the manufacturer. D-ALFJ is an acquisition from the used market. In order to make the freighter’s capacity available to customers as soon as possible, the elaborate livery in the well-known Lufthansa design was dispensed with. Until further notice, the aircraft will be flying all in white, with only a tongue-in-cheek fuselage livery.

Europe’s last MD-11 flies with farewell livery

Also the last remaining tri-jet of Lufthansa Group – at the same time the last MD-11 aircraft registered in Europe – is now flying in a special design. Lufthansa Cargo is expressing its gratitude for more than 23 years of loyal service and is sending its D-ALCC out on its final rotations to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Chicago and New York with the greetings “Farewell” and “Thank you, MD-11” emblazoned on its fuselage. The type’s active time with Lufthansa will come to an end with its last landing at Frankfurt Airport on high noon of October 15, 2021

Air France takes delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 and announces the first routes

Air France has announced its new 148-seat Airbus A220-300 will enter service on October 31 between the Paris (CDG) hub and Berlin.

It will then fly to Barcelona, Madrid, Bologna, Milan, Rome and Venice as well as Lisbon and Copenhagen.

The first A220-300 was delivered on September 29 and is registered as F-HZUA. The aircraft is named “Le Bourget”.

The airline issued this statement:

Air France is continuing to renew its fleet and takes delivery of the 1st of the 60 Airbus A200-300s ordered to replace its Airbus A318s and A319s, as well as several Airbus A320s;
The A220-300 is a major lever in improving Air France’s economic and environmental performance, with a cost reduction per seat of 10%, a 20% reduction in CO₂ emissions and a 34% reduced noise footprint;
Commercial flights to Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Venice start as from October 31.

On September 29, 2021, Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A220-300, the company’s latest jewel in the fleet on 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 – the largest from a European customer – includes an additional mix of 30 options and 30 purchase rights.

“This new aircraft with an unparalleled energy performance represents a major asset for Air France. To date, fleet renewal is the main source of reducing CO₂ emissions, and this is why we are continuing to invest in latest-generation aircraft. We are also activating all the levers at our disposal such as sustainable fuels or eco-piloting, as part of our contribution to promoting a carbon-neutral air transport industry and positioning ourselves as a leading player of a more sustainable aviation” stated Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM.

“The arrival of a new aircraft is always a special occasion for an airline. All the Air France teams have spent over two years preparing for this moment and we are excited to see our customers discover the optimal comfort offered by this aircraft. The cabin is more spacious, brighter, and offers full Wi-Fi-connectivity, further contributing to the upmarket positioning of our offer.” added Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France.

Named “Le Bourget” in homage to the town north of Paris which is deeply linked to the aviation industry, the aircraft sports the emblematic Air France livery. It also features the winged seahorse on the front of its fuselage and on its wingtips, the symbol embodying the company’s founding myth.

As from October 31, 2021, the Airbus A220-300 will fly to Berlin (Germany), Barcelona, 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, Rome (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

An economically and environmentally efficient aircraft

The most innovative and efficient single-aisle aircraft in its class, the Airbus A220-300 is perfectly suited to Air France’s short and medium-haul network. It provides a cost reduction per seat of 10% compared to the Airbus A318 and A319 and stands out for its energy efficiency, consuming 20% less fuel than the aircraft it replaces and its CO₂ emissions are also reduced by 20%. Its noise footprint is also 34% lower. These characteristics will play a decisive role in reducing Air France’s environmental footprint and achieving its sustainable development objectives. By 2030, the airline will have reduced its overall CO₂ emissions per passenger/km by 50% compared to 2005, or 15% in absolute terms. Air France is also committed to working with all its stakeholders and the public authorities to achieve the climate target of zero net CO₂ emissions by 2050.

The highest level of in-flight comfort

The Air France Airbus A220-300 has 148 seats, in a 3-2 seat configuration (5 seats across) offering 80% of customers a window or aisle seat. It offers two travel cabins, Business and Economy, and access to Air France Connect, the airline’s inflight Wi-Fi service.

The seat is the widest on the market (48 cm). It reclines to 118 degrees and has an adjustable headrest, leather upholstery and an ergonomic seat cushion for enhanced comfort. 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, the most spacious and brightest in its category, is decorated in the Air France signature colors – shades of blue, a strong presence of white providing light and contrast, and a hint of red symbolize the airline’s excellence and know-how. The carpet revisits the traditional ornamental herringbone pattern, symbolizing the emblematic Haussmann-inspired world of Parisian apartments.

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, serene atmosphere during the flight. The spacious baggage racks are easy to access. The central aisle is particularly wide, allowing customers to move about at ease.

Finally, as on the entire Air France fleet, the air in the cabin is renewed every 3 minutes thanks to a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air)-type filter air recycling system that eliminates 99.9% of particles and viruses.

Video:

And here is the long awaited moment, the first @Airbus #A220 of #AirFrance, registered F-HZUA and named "Le Bourget" is finally unveiled!#AirFranceA220 pic.twitter.com/BjmYXGmLvb

— Air France Newsroom (@AFnewsroom) September 29, 2021