Riga International Airport (RIX)-based airBaltic has just welcomed the 32nd Airbus A220-300 to its fleet of aircraft. In a statement issued on October 2, 2021, the Latvian national flag carrier announced that it had taken delivery of an Airbus A220-300 with the registration number YL-ABF.
The 145 seat narrowbody aircraft delivery is the seventh of this type of plane that airBaltic has received from the European planemaker in 2021, and the last new aircraft airBaltic will receive this year. The plane is just one of the 50 of this type of aircraft airBaltic has ordered from Airbus, with the airline also having 30 options for additional A220-300s.
Seven A220s have been delivered to airBaltic in 2021
According to the aviation aircraft tracking website, RadarBox.com, YL-ABF departed Montréal-Mirabel International Airport YMX at 10:41 EDT on Friday, October 1, 2021. Following the 3,931-mile (6,327-kilometer) flight, the plane landed at Riga International Airport (RIX) at 01:52 EEST the following day.
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When speaking about taking delivery of the aircraft in Riga, airBaltic Chief Executive Officer Martin Gauss said in the company statement:
“We are delighted that a total of seven Airbus A220-300 have joined our sustainable fleet this year. We are now the largest Airbus A220-300 operator in the world and the largest Airbus A220 operator in Europe. With a growing number of new aircraft, we will be able to provide better connectivity, as well as give our passengers the opportunity to visit their favorite leisure destinations during the winter season.”
Since receiving its first Airbus A220-300 in late 2016, the Baltic state carrier has transported over 6.5 million passengers on this aircraft model. The vast majority of these passengers were flying between the Baltic states to Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Moscow.
airBaltic is an all-Airbus A220 airline
In May of 2020, airBaltic decided to operate its airline only flying the Airbus A220-300. When speaking about it at the time, airBaltic’s CEO Martin Gauss said:
“The Airbus A220-300 is the aircraft of our future and, by phasing out the Boeing 737, we will have the youngest jet fleet in Europe. The introduction of the Airbus A220-300 has been very successful and provided the additional efficiency any airline is seeking in the highly competitive aviation market. Thanks to the good overall performance, we decided to introduce a single-type fleet of up to 80 (50 firm order and 30 options) Airbus A220-300 aircraft by 2022.”
The Airbus A220-300 has surpassed airBaltic’s expectations
According to airBaltic, the Airbus A220 has performed well beyond the airline’s original expectations delivering better overall performance, fuel efficiency, and comfort for both passengers and employees. The aircraft is not only popular with the people that fly it but passengers too.
When asked about what they like about flying on the Airbus A220-300, most people comment on the aircraft’s spaciousness, wide seats, oversized windows, larger lavatories, and the extra space in the overhead bins.
Have you had the chance to fly on an Airbus A220-300? If so, please tell us what you liked or didn’t like about the aircraft in the comments.
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