New Airbus A220 tours Hanoi, eyeing new opportunities

The Airbus A220 in a demonstration at Noi Bai International Airport

The display was part of the aircraft’s demonstration in Asia-Pacific and attracted executives from local airlines.

Connor Buott, marketing manager for Single Aisle Products said, “Vietnam is a potential market where travel demand is rising in the new normal. We eye more opportunities for the A220.”

The A220’s range and capacity make it ideal for carriers that want to open new regional routes or require an aircraft for lucrative but thin routes out of the country. It also enables a more cost-efficient and seamless way to connect to and from international services to regional or domestic destinations.

The A220 brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials, and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. It gives customers a 50 per cent reduced noise footprint and up to 25 per cent lower fuel burn per seat and CO₂ emissions compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50 per cent lower NOx emissions than industry standards.

The A220-100-A220-300 inflight

The A220 is available in two versions, with the A220-100 seating between 100 and 130 passengers and the larger A220-300 seating between 130 and 160 in typical airline layouts. It is also ideal for airlines that require an aircraft to complement existing A320 family fleets and offers a lower cost per trip compared to previous generation aircraft.

Capable of flying non-stop on routes of up to 3,400 nautical miles (6,300 km), the A220 offers unmatched range capability allowing connections from Vietnam to Australia, the Middle East, and North Asia.

Airbus has yet to receive an order from Vietnamese airlines. However, Australia’s Qantas announced this week that it is ordering 20 aircraft as part of its domestic fleet replacement programme. Air Vanuatu has also ordered three A220s, comprising two A220-100s and one A220-300. To date, Airbus has received 740 orders for the A220 and delivered more than 200.

In Vietnam, Airbus has a presence in the airline market with Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airways, Vietnam Airlines, and Vietravel operating the A320 family, and Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines operating the A330 and A350, respectively.