Bulgaria Air, flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, has taken delivery of its first A220, on lease from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), from the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Canada. The A220 will be flying on both regional and international routes across Europe. Bulgaria Air will lease a total of five A220-300s and two A220-100 from ALC.
The A220 is the latest-generation aircraft type from Airbus to join Bulgaria Air’s fleet. The airline already operates seven A320 aircraft demonstrating the fleet complementarity between the A220 and the A320 Family. With a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km), the A220 provides airlines such as Bulgaria Air with increased operational flexibility.
Bulgaria Air’s first A220 configuration will comprise a total of 143 seats in dual-class, including eight Business class seats. The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation engines. The aircraft offers unbeatable comfort in a small single-aisle with the widest windows, largest seats and overhead stowage, as well as the widest and quietest cabin in its category.
The A220 supports Bulgaria Air’s engagement towards the aviation decarbonisation journey as it delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous-generation aircraft.
As of the end of May 2023, Airbus has received close to 800 orders from 30 customers for the A220, of which 265 have been delivered. The A220 is already in successful service with 16 airlines worldwide. To date, more than 90 million passengers have enjoyed the A220. The fleet is currently flying on over 1,100 routes and over 375 destinations worldwide.
