Airbus may launch A220-500 in 2026 alongside production ramp-up

Airbus is considering the launch of the A220-500 variant in 2026, coinciding with a planned increase in A220 production rates. The company targets a monthly output of 14 A220 jets by that year, aiming to move the program closer to financial breakeven.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told The Air Current that increasing A220 production is essential to the program’s profitability. Faury stated that the company wants to demonstrate that the A220 is approaching profitability before launching the potential A220-500.

According to him, after the potential launch, the team would need to focus on the next product development cycle.

The A220 program continues to record financial losses, but Airbus has received customer requests for a stretched version of the aircraft. The rumored A220-500 could seat around 170 passengers, positioning it as a direct competitor to the A320neo family, albeit with lower operational costs and potentially reduced range.

Airbus is evaluating two development paths for the A220-500: a straightforward fuselage stretch, which could limit range, or a more comprehensive redesign involving new engines, wings, and fuel tanks.

If launched, the A220-500 may be the last new commercial aircraft model introduced by either Airbus or Boeing this decade. The A220 family, originating from Bombardier’s C Series, had 941 firm orders as of August, the vast majority of which were for the A220-300 variant (823 aircraft). Of this total, 442 aircraft had been delivered as of last month.

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Ricardo Meier

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