Airbus announced that it will bring the Airbus A220 to FIDAE 2022, the first time the model will be presented in South America.
The aircraft is an A220-300 belonging to SWISS International Airlines, with registration HB-JCU, delivered in May 2021.
Swiss is one of the A220’s star customers, of which it owns thirty aircraft (9 A220-100s and 21 A220-300s).
According to Flightradar 24, the aircraft flew on March 27 from Zurich (ZRH), Switzerland to Montreal (YUL), Canada, before continuing the next day to Miami (MIA), USA.
The aircraft will not only be in Santiago de Chile, during the largest aeronautical event in Latin America and the Caribbean, between April 5 and 10, but will also be in Argentina, between April 8 and 10, to be presented at Ezeiza airport.
In addition, the product will be shown in Brazil with the purpose of entering a segment dominated by Embraer, the main rival of the Canadian model.
According to the schedule, it will be presented at Congonhas and Viracopos/Campinas on April 12; Guarulhos on April 13; and on April 14 it will leave bound to Europe.
At the time of writing, no other countries have been mentioned.
A220 potential in Latin America and the Caribbean
The A220 family, which became part of Airbus in 2018 after being acquired from Bombardier, accumulates a total of 740 orders, 102 for the A220-100 variant (with fifty-three already in service) and 638 for the A220-300 (146 in service).
Delta Air Lines, airBaltic and SWISS are the largest operators of the model, owning 53, 33 and 30 units respectively.
Put in perspective, the companies that have ordered this model are looking to replace older aircraft with higher consumption rates, such as the Airbus A319ceo, Airbus A318, Embraer 190/195, Boeing 717, and Boeing 737-700. But also, to models such as the Embraer 170, older Airbus A320 and DHC 8-400.
This means that the A220 has a range of opportunities in terms of future customers. According to data obtained through Cirium, aircraft smaller than the A320 and Boeing 737-800 account for 22.31% of the seat supply in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This region has one of the highest post-pandemic recovery rates at present. In March 2022 it recovered 75.59% of seat supply compared to the same period in 2019, with Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Mexico and Honduras already recording pure growth.
So, there is scope for some companies to look for new products to keep up with the times.
In the region, potential customers that do not have a replacement plan for a particular model in the medium term would include:
- Aeromexico with 32 Embraer 190 aircraft; although the possibility of Boeing 737 MAXs taking their place is being studied, there is no confirmation from the company of an eventual Embraer replacement in the short term.
- Avianca recently confirmed an order for 88 Airbus A320neo, without mentioning whether it will replace the existing 22 A319s. This model covers small markets and airports with difficult access, which is why I can also obtain the certification required to replace the ATRs on some stopovers.
- LATAM Airlines Group has 40 Airbus A319s distributed in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, where they operate mostly in airports with difficult terrain and small runways. Airbus is seeking to demonstrate the qualities of the A220 at Congonhas.
- Aerolineas Argentinas. Airbus does not have a long history in the Argentine state-owned company’s portfolio for single-aisle aircraft. Briefly, the Marsans Group tried to bring in a couple of Airbus A320s but they did not operate scheduled flights. However, the company has 26 Embraer E190s and eight Boeing 737-700s that may be replaced by the A220 family in the medium term, mainly to unseat the Brazilian manufacturer. Although the previous management had said that they were going to opt for the MAX.
Once again, Airbus is presenting its product in Argentina at a time when Aerolíneas Argentinas does not have a medium-term fleet plan.
Indigo Partners (Volaris and JetSMART) has shown no interest in the aircraft, focusing even more on Airbus’ other star model: A321neo and its variants, with indicators more suitable for low-cost airlines.
Azul have opted for E2s, but are Airbus customers with a fleet of Airbus A320neo and A321neo.
Boliviana de Aviacion and GOL have a long history with Boeing, unless Airbus battles for a deal to win a new customer, as happened with Qantas and Jet2.
The A220 has been an opportunity for companies with limited financial structure to acquire the model to improve fuel burn ratios. Therefore, we do not rule out regional companies such as Amaszonas (Nella Airlines), Paranair, Star Peru, Ecuair, Sky High Aviation or TAG Airlines.
