In late 2021, Qantas placed an order for 20 Airbus A220s, and in mid-2023, the airline placed an incremental order for nine more of these jets. Qantas took delivery of its first A220 a couple of months ago, and today the airline has revealed more details about the jet, including pictures of the interiors, plus when we can expect the aircraft to enter service. Let’s go over all the details.
Qantas Airbus A220 order & fleet details
Australian flag carrier Qantas is doing quite a bit to refresh its fleet at the moment, including for narrow body and wide body aircraft. The airline currently has the following aircraft on order:
- Qantas has 29 Airbus A220-300s on order, which started to be delivered as of late 2023; this is the largest version of the Airbus A220 family
- Qantas has 28 Airbus A321XLRs on order, which will be delivered starting in early 2025; this is the longest range and largest version of the Airbus A320 family
- Qantas has 24 Airbus A350-1000s on order, which will be delivered starting in mid-2026; these are intended to operate the world’s longest flights, from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London, and will be used for additional long haul expansion
- Qantas has four more Boeing 787-9s and eight Boeing 787-10s on order, which will be delivered starting in 2027; these are intended to expand the carrier’s long haul fleet and replace A330s
Qantas will be taking delivery of all 29 Airbus A220s between now and 2027, so you can expect nearly one jet to be delivered per month. The plane will be used to refresh the fleet of QantasLink, which is Qantas’ regional subsidiary. Primarily, these planes will replace Boeing 717s, which are currently the backbone of QantasLink’s fleet.
The switch from the 717 to A220 really is a testament to how far aviation has come. The A220 has twice the range of the 717, all while offering a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. That’s pretty incredible.
Qantas Airbus A220 passenger experience
Qantas’ Airbus A220-300s will all be configured with 137 seats, including 10 business class seats and 127 economy class seats. Below you can see a seat map of Qantas’ Airbus A220-300s.
While I’ll cover some specific details below, let me first note that the A220 is an absolute joy to fly, given that it has only one middle seat per row, and has a modern cabin with huge windows and large lavatories. Qantas’ A220s will also feature Wi-Fi, which is a nice development, given that it’s something Qantas hasn’t historically been great with offering.
Qantas Airbus A220 business class
Qantas’ A220 business class cabin will consist of 10 seats, in a 2-2 configuration, with 2.5 rows. You can expect the following features:
- 37″ of pitch, with 5″ of recline
- USB-A and USB-C charging, plus wireless charging pads
- A six-way adjustable headrest, a calf rest, and a footrest
- A bottle holder plus an extendable cocktail table
- A tray table with a built-in tablet holder
Qantas Airbus A220 economy class
Qantas’ A220 economy class cabin will consist of 127 seats, in a 2-3 configuration, with 25.5 rows. You can expect the following features:
- 30″ of pitch with 18″ of seat width
- USB-A and USB-C charging
- A six-way adjustable headrest
- A drop down tablet holder
Qantas Airbus A220 routes
Qantas intends to use the Airbus A220 primarily to fly domestically, and also to operate select short haul international routes in the Pacific region.
We can expect Airbus A220s to enter service with Qantas shortly. The airline initially plans to base these aircraft out of Melbourne (MEL). You can initially expect the A220 to fly to both Brisbane (BNE) and Canberra (CBR), as of March 1, 2024.
Subsequent destinations later in 2024 include Hobart (HBA), Coffs Harbour (CFS), and Launceston (LST), but exact schedules for those routes haven’t yet been published.
Bottom line
Qantas has a total of 29 Airbus A220-300s on order, and the airline has started taking delivery of these aircraft. These planes will be flown by QantasLink, with the Airbus A220s replacing the Boeing 717s that Qantas’ regional subsidiary currently primarily uses. We can expect the first A220 to enter passenger service in the coming days.
Qantas has now revealed the full details of the passenger experience on these jets, including what we can expect in both business class and economy. The interiors look quite nice. This is an awesome development for QantasLink, in terms of economics, range, fuel efficiency, and even passenger experience.
What do you make of Qantas’ Airbus A220-300?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.