Airbus is not yet ready to launch a larger A220, Reuters reported, citing six industry sources familiar with discussions within the aviation industry. Although earlier this year there were indications that the European manufacturer could announce a new, stretched version of the aircraft as early as this summer, that scenario now appears increasingly unlikely.
According to Reuters, the launch of a larger A220 at the Farnborough Airshow, which takes place in late July, is currently “not probable”, a senior Airbus executive said. However, the possibility of a decision being made during 2026 has not been completely ruled out. Airbus said it was studying all options and that no final decision had been made.
A larger A220 variant, often unofficially referred to in the industry as the A220-500, could play an important business role for Airbus. The A220 programme, which Airbus took over from Canada’s Bombardier in 2018 for a symbolic sum of one dollar, is still loss-making. A stretched version could allow more favourable supplier contracts, better use of production capacity and lower costs per seat, increasing the programme’s chances of long-term profitability.
According to information cited by Reuters, Airbus has presented potential customers with a relatively simple stretch of the existing aircraft, without increasing the maximum takeoff weight and without costly changes to the Pratt & Whitney engines. Such a version could carry around 180 passengers, compared with approximately 160 on today’s A220-300, while reducing costs per seat by around 10 percent.
However, that approach could also bring a significant drawback. Without major technical changes, the stretched A220 would have a shorter range, which does not suit all airlines. Some customers, especially those using the A220 on longer routes or considering it as a flexible aircraft for different missions, are not willing to give up performance in exchange for higher capacity. Aviation analyst Rob Morris told Reuters that airlines may be convinced by the aircraft’s economics, but not necessarily by its performance.
Potential customers also remain cautious because of previous durability problems affecting the existing Pratt & Whitney engines used on parts of the fleet. RTX, the parent company of Pratt & Whitney, declined to comment on Reuters’ report.
At the beginning of the year, according to Reuters sources, Airbus was telling investors and financiers at the Airline Economics conference in Dublin that 2026 could be a “big year” for the A220. Several months later, however, potential buyers say they have still not received the level of technical and commercial detail normally expected ahead of an imminent launch. Mark Nasr, chief operations officer of Air Canada, told Reuters that one of the key questions would be the aircraft’s range.
Pressure on Airbus has also been partly eased by AirAsia’s recent order for 150 aircraft of the existing A220 variant. That gave the programme a strong commercial boost without the immediate need to launch a new version. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in April that a larger A220 was more a question of timing than possibility, but that the time for launch had not yet come.
Another reason for caution is the potential overlap with the A320neo family, Airbus’ key narrow-body programme. A larger A220 would move closer to the lower end of the market served by the A320neo, raising the question of internal competition within Airbus’ own product line. According to Reuters, some aircraft lessors are also concerned that a new model could affect the value of existing A320neo aircraft, as they are among the most widely represented types in leasing portfolios.
Although the development of a larger A220 is still considered likely in the future, Reuters’ sources suggest that Airbus does not want to rush the decision for now. The A220 programme needs lower costs, higher production volumes and a clearer market position, but a larger variant must also offer sufficiently strong performance to attract airlines without undermining the value of existing Airbus models.
