Malaysia’s AirAsia has ordered 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, becoming a new customer for the type and at the same time placing the largest single firm order in the history of the A220 programme. The agreement is particularly important for Airbus, as it pushes the total A220 order book beyond the milestone of 1,000 firm aircraft orders.
The contract was announced at Airbus’ facility in Mirabel, Canada, where final assembly of the A220 takes place. The ceremony was attended by Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group, and Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier Christine Frechette were also present, further underlining the importance of the A220 programme for Canada’s aerospace industry.
AirAsia will also become the first customer for the new 160-seat cabin configuration of the A220-300. The increase of 10 seats compared with the previous densest configuration has been made possible by the addition of an extra overwing exit on each side of the aircraft. Such a layout is especially important for the low-cost business model, where the number of seats has a direct impact on unit cost per passenger.
According to Airbus, the A220 will complement AirAsia’s existing Airbus fleet and play an important role in the further development of its network. The aircraft is intended for routes within the ASEAN region, as well as destinations toward Central Asia, enabling the airline to open new routes while freeing up larger aircraft for longer and busier services.
Tony Fernandes said AirAsia was built by making “bold decisions at the right moment”, not necessarily the easiest ones. According to him, the A220 will unlock new markets and routes for AirAsia and bring the carrier closer to its ambition of building the world’s first true low-cost network airline. He also emphasized that the partnership with Airbus spans more than two decades and has been central to AirAsia’s development.
Airbus says the A220 will provide AirAsia with a combination of low operating costs and the range needed to open new routes across Asia and beyond. Lars Wagner said Airbus and AirAsia teams had worked intensively to reach an agreement fully aligned with the airline’s new network strategy.
The Airbus A220 is designed to carry between 100 and 160 passengers, depending on configuration, on flights of up to 3,600 nautical miles, or approximately 6,700 kilometres. Airbus describes it as the most modern aircraft in its size category, with the longest range, lowest fuel consumption, and widest cabin in its class. By the end of March 2026, 501 A220 aircraft had been delivered to 25 operators worldwide.
Like all Airbus aircraft, the A220 is already capable of operating with up to 50 percent sustainable aviation fuel, while Airbus plans for all its aircraft to be technically capable of operating with up to 100 percent SAF by 2030.
Although Airbus and AirAsia are presenting the order as part of a new network strategy and expansion into additional markets, the agreement is very likely also a replacement for the existing A320ceo fleet. With the order book for the more popular A320neo family heavily sold out and delivery slots stretching into the first half of the 2030s, the A220 appears to be a compromise solution. For Airbus, the deal significantly strengthens the slower-selling A220 programme, while AirAsia receives aircraft that can realistically be delivered within a timeframe that suits its needs. It is also very likely that Airbus made the agreement more attractive through favourable commercial terms, particularly given the size of the order and AirAsia’s strategic importance as one of the most important low-cost customers in Asia.
