AirAsia places largest order for Airbus A220
Dhaka: Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has placed a firm order for 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, marking the largest single firm order ever placed for the type.
The purchase agreement, announced on May 6 at a signing ceremony held at Airbus' Mirabel facility in Canada, also pushed the A220 program past the milestone of 1,000 firm orders, underlining the aircraft's growing commercial appeal.
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group, and Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, attended the event along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette.
The landmark order has made AirAsia a new Airbus A220 customer. Additionally, the airline becomes the launch customer for a new cabin configuration of 160 seats. The additional capacity — 10 more than the current standard layout — is achieved through an extra overwing exit on each side of the fuselage.
AirAsia plans to deploy the A220s across destinations in ASEAN and into Central Asia. The narrowbody jets will complement the airline's existing Airbus fleet, freeing up larger aircraft to cover longer routes.
"This order reflects our long-term discipline and the scale of our ambitions. The A220 unlocks new markets and routes and brings us closer to building the world's first true low-cost network carrier," said Capital A CEO Fernandes.
Airbus' Commercial Aircraft CEO Wagner said the A220 offers an optimal combination of low operating costs and range, enabling AirAsia to open new routes across Asia and beyond.
The A220, formerly branded as the Bombardier CSeries, can carry between 100 and 160 passengers over distances of up to 3,600 nautical miles. It is marketed as the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class. As of March 2026, 501 A220s had been delivered to 25 operators worldwide.
Like all Airbus aircraft, the A220 is already certified to operate on up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Airbus has set a target of 100% SAF compatibility across its entire fleet by 2030.
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