The A220-100 is the smaller of Airbus's two A220 models, originally developed by Bombardier as the CS100, seating about 100 to 135 passengers. In the US it is essentially a Delta Air Lines jet, flying mid-size routes out of hubs like New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Detroit and Salt Lake City.
A220-100 at a glance
- First flight
- 2013
- Length
- 114 ft 9 in (35.0 m)
- Wingspan
- 115 ft 1 in (35.1 m)
- Engines
- 2 × Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofans
- Seats
- 100–135
- Cruise speed
- ~450 kt (518 mph) / Mach 0.78
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Range
- ~3,400 nmi
How to recognize the A220-100
The A220 has a clean, modern look that is quite different from older Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies. The -100 is the short version, so its wings look long for the body.
- Engines: big, round PW1500G geared turbofans that seem oversized for such a small jet. Like the A320neo's GTF they have no chevrons.
- Nose: a smooth, pointed nose with a sleek cockpit window line, sometimes compared to a dolphin.
- Wingtips: small, gently canted winglets rather than tall sharklets or blended winglets.
- Windows: unusually large cabin windows, easy to see on a close pass.
- Fuselage: slimmer than an A320's, with five-abreast seating inside. From below, the body looks narrow next to the wide engines.
- Tail: a tall fin with a smooth fillet and a low-set horizontal tail.
- Proportions vs. the -300: the -100 has the same wing and engines as the A220-300 but about 12 ft less fuselage, so the wing sits well toward the middle and the plane looks compact.
- Sound: quiet; on approach it is one of the quietest jets in its class.
It is roughly the size of an Embraer E190, but its noticeably larger engines and a longer wing give the A220 a more stretched-out look.
Where and when you'll see it
Delta (callsign DAL) was the first US airline to fly the A220 and is the main US operator of the -100. It uses them on mid-size domestic routes and hub flying where a full A320 would be too big, including many flights from New York LaGuardia, Boston, Minneapolis, Detroit and Salt Lake City. The A220-100 is also flown by some foreign carriers, but those rarely enter US airspace.
Typical cruise is FL350 to FL410. On final it flies at about 2,000 to 3,000 ft and 130 to 140 kt. On ADS-B it shows type code BCS1, a holdover from its original name, Bombardier CSeries. Some tracking apps label it "CS100" or use its IATA code, 221, but the ICAO designator remains BCS1.
Easily confused with
- Airbus A220-300: The A220-300 is about 12 ft longer with the same wing and engines.
- Embraer E190: The E190 has smaller engines, a rounder nose and a four-abreast cabin.
- Airbus A319: The A319 has a wider body, rounder nose and smaller engines relative to its size.
Quick facts
- The A220 began life as the Bombardier CSeries; Airbus took a majority stake in 2018 and renamed it.
- Airbus assembles A220s for US customers in Mobile, Alabama, as well as at the original line in Mirabel, Quebec.
- Its ICAO code BCS1 stands for Bombardier CSeries 100, the name it carried when it first flew.
A220-100 questions
Is the A220 an Airbus or a Bombardier?
Both, historically. Bombardier designed it as the CSeries, and Airbus took over the program in 2018 and renamed it the A220.
Which US airline flies the A220-100?
Delta Air Lines is the main US operator of the A220-100.
Cities where it's a regular
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for BCS1 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.