Walkaround

Airbus

A220

A220-100, A220-300

in production PW1500G 3 min read · updated 21 September 2026 · checked 21 September 2026

At a glance

Type card

VariantsA220-100, A220-300
EnginesPratt and Whitney PW1500G
Typical seating100 to 160
AssemblyMirabel, Quebec and Mobile, Alabama
StatusIn production
OriginBombardier CSeries, acquired by Airbus in 2018

Program and production

The A220 is an excellent aeroplane with a persistent industrial problem, and 2026 did not fix it.

Airbus has revised the rate target downward again, to 12 per month during 2026 from a previous 14. Current output sits at roughly seven to eight per month. Reuters reporting indicated the 12 per month point has moved to late 2026. Against a programme that Airbus says must approach 14 per month to break even, each revision pushes the crossover further away.

The causes are familiar and stubborn. Shortages of critical components persist, skilled labour availability is tight, and both the Mirabel and Mobile facilities continue to face supply issues. Mirabel remains the primary centre for the programme, with Mobile added to serve the US market.

Workforce pressure has been visible. Airbus Canada asked Mirabel employees for mandatory weekend overtime to catch up on production, and subsequently reached agreement with unionised A220 programme employees at the site.

In plain terms

Break even on an aircraft programme means the revenue per aircraft finally covers what it costs to build plus the development spending already sunk. Until a programme reaches its target rate, fixed costs are spread across too few aircraft, so every one built loses money.

Technical and maintenance

The PW1500G is part of the Pratt and Whitney GTF family, and the powder metal contamination issue that has grounded a large part of the A320neo fleet also requires inspections on the A220 and the Embraer E2.

In plain terms

The affected part is a turbine disc made from compacted metal powder. Contamination in some powder batches can start a crack in a component spinning at very high speed in the hottest section of the engine. Engines in the affected population have to come off and be inspected regardless of whether they show any symptom.

On the line

A220 operators are generally smaller and run thinner spare engine pools than the large A320neo customers, which makes shop turnaround length a sharper problem rather than a softer one. With turnaround on affected GTF engines running roughly 250 to 300 days, a single unplanned removal can take an aircraft out of service for most of a year if no spare is available. Confirm your engine serial numbers against the affected population and treat spare engine access as the planning constraint.

Beyond the powerplant, the A220 has matured considerably. Early in service reliability problems around the engine and some systems have largely been worked through, and dispatch reliability is now in line with expectations for the type.

Orders and operators

Demand has never been the A220's problem. The order book is healthy and the aircraft has found a genuine market in the 100 to 150 seat segment that the A320 family and 737 do not serve efficiently.

Delta, airBaltic, Air Canada, Breeze and ITA Airways are among the significant operators. The constraint on fleet growth is delivery rate rather than appetite, and operators planning around A220 deliveries should build schedule margin against the rate history rather than the rate target.

Safety

No significant developments since 21 September 2026.

The GTF powder metal campaign is a continued airworthiness and reliability matter rather than an accident investigation. No new accident investigation involving the type opened in this period.

Sources