Airbus offers the A220 as a long-haul private jet
The European aircraft manufacturer is entering a new market segment. Airbus will also sell the A220 as a long-haul private jet in the future. It is a luxury variant of the A220-100.
The aircraft manufacturer launches the A220 as a business jet and calls it ACJ Two Twenty. The Canadian son of the Airbus portfolio, the A220, is becoming more and more a fluke for the Toulouse aircraft manufacturer in the context of the corona pandemic. As an airliner, the A220 appears to be the perfect size for the near future. It benefits from new technological advances, operating costs are low and Canada’s very quiet Airbus is also very popular with passengers thanks to its spacious cabin.
In the future, Airbus wants to make the advantages of the A220 attractive for owners of private jets. The internal subsidiary of Airbus Corporate Jets is launching the ACJ220 for this purpose. The twin-jet private jet is essentially an A220-100 converted to a luxury plane.
More space than the competition
It is the “perfect complement to our ACJ product family,” Airbus announced on Tuesday, October 6. ACJ stands for Airbus Corporate Jetliner, the business aircraft used by Europeans. With a range of 5,650 nautical miles or 10,500 kilometers, non-stop connections such as London – Los Angeles, Tokyo – Dubai or Beijing – Melbourne would be possible non-stop. This range is suitable for non-stop prices over twelve hours. To make those twelve hours on board literally pass, the cabin of the ACJ 220 offers all kinds of amenities, individual amenities and above all one thing: tons of space. Above all, Airbus wants to impress with its comfort. “Although the ACJ220 does not require more parking space and can take off from the same airports as competitive products, it offers more than three times the cabin volume,” writes the manufacturer. Up to 18 passengers can work, talk, eat and relax in an area of 73 square meters. In addition, “the operating costs […] are lower than a third”.
As big as a three-room apartment
A total of 73 square meters of floor space, divided into six spacious VIP living areas, leaves nothing to be desired in this regard. Customers can freely assemble the equipment itself from a flexible cabin catalog. Luxury accessories such as LED lighting, auto-darkening windows and WLAN are standard. “The cabin offers twice the connectivity of the competition,” enthuses Airbus. According to Airbus, it has already collected six orders. Delivery of the first ACJ220 is scheduled for 2023.
The base is the Airbus A220-100
The ACJ220 is a new development based on the A220-100. It is the smallest model of the A220, initially developed by Bombardier under the name of C-Series. It is 35 meters long and has a wingspan of 35.1 meters. Airbus also has orders. Comlux orders two ACJ220s and unnamed customers have ordered four. The first delivery is scheduled for 2023.
Also suitable for small airports
The advantages of the ACJ220 are also evident for the manufacturer: “The aircraft combines intercontinental autonomy, unparalleled personal space and comfort for all passengers,” said Airbus Corporate Jets President Benoit Defforge. The 220 does not require more floor space than other business jets, it can fly to the same airports, but offers three times the cabin volume and space for up to 18 passengers. Plus, operating costs are a third lower, Delforge says.
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