Airline Buys 30 More After A Year In Service Citing High Customer Satisfaction

JetBlue Airways has joined in the aircraft buying bonanza in 2022, jumping in with an order for 30 more A220-300 from industry partner Airbus. Overall, their total commitment to the brand stands at 100 aircraft on order, making up a significant fraction of the total A220 book of 740 aircraft. 

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said their current batch of A220s have been such solid performers they couldn't wait to acquire more of them. “We’re already seeing benefits from the eight A220s we’ve added to the fleet, and we’re very happy to have more on the way. We’ve seen double-digits increases in customer satisfaction scores, and these fuel-efficient aircraft support our leadership in reducing carbon emissions. With 30 additional A220s on order, we’re in a position to accelerate our fleet modernization plans to deliver stronger cost performance and support our focus city network strategy.”

Those satisfaction scores, oddly enough, correlate highly with the little things that come with the newest version of the A220. While the usual passenger-facing accommodations like larger windows, spacious stowage space, loftier ceilings, and comfy seating are important, travelers really enjoy the full suite of charging systems at each seat. The ability to charge multiple USB-type devices at once and even laptops with the available AC power port have made the A220 a winner in service. Airbus head Christian Scherer noted the speed exhibited by the airline in scooping up more of the jets so soon after their initial entry into service. 

“It is very rewarding to see a happy customer coming back for more aircraft not even a year after Entry into Service of its first A220. We salute our friends at JetBlue on this landmark deal, over 700 A220 orders to date underscore the strong market appetite for this all-new Single Aisle aircraft.”

So far, 15 airlines operate a fleet of 200 A220s around the world, helping to build a name for itself as a competitive do-all aircraft economical enough for short-haul and long-distance routes. The usual benefits of a new aircraft are all there in addition to the improved in-flight accouterments, like the 50% reduced noise footprint, lower fuel burn, and reduced emissions, too. How many more orders will come in remains to be seen, but at the pace they are going, the recent shortfalls in the Airbus order book may not last long. 

FMI: www.airbus.com