Air France unveils its first Airbus A220, beautiful but not like JetBlue's

Today the French flag carrier officially unveiled the first Airbus A220/300 to join the fleet, the first of 60 aircraft to be delivered over the next few years.

Here at TFC, our love for the smallest of the planes produced by the European company is well known. We fell in love with this plane the first time we flew When it was still called CSeries and was manufactured by Bombardier in Canada. Air France thus joins Air Baltic (the only airline in the world to have a fleet of only A220s), Swiss, and many other carriers that have chosen this model for short/medium-haul routes.

Christened "Le Bourget" in homage to the city north of Paris, which has deep ties to the aviation industry, the plane sports the emblematic Air France livery. It also features the winged seahorse on the front of its fuselage and on the wingtips, the symbol that embodies the company's founding myth.

As of October 31, 2021, the Airbus A220-300 will fly to Milan-Linate, Venice, Berlin, Barcelona, and Madrid, from Air France's Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub. During the 2021-2022 winter season, the aircraft will gradually extend its network to Bologna, Rome, Lisbon and Copenhagen.

Air France's Airbus A220-300 has 148 seats in the iconic 3-2 configuration offering customers' 80% a window or aisle seat, and all aircraft will have of access to Air France Connect , the airline's in-flight Wi-Fi service.

The seat is the widest on the market (48 cm). It reclines 118 degrees and has an adjustable headrest, leather upholstery and an ergonomic seat cushion for added comfort. A large, solid tray table, cup holders, a pocket for storing magazines and books, individual USB A and C ports, and a tablet or smartphone holder built into the backrest complete the package.

The cabin is decorated in Air France's distinctive colors: shades of blue, a strong presence of white providing light and contrast, and a hint of red symbolize the airline's excellence and know-how. The carpet revisits the traditional ornamental herringbone pattern, which symbolizes the emblematic Haussmann-inspired world of Parisian apartments.

Large panoramic windows provide natural light throughout the journey. From boarding to landing, specially adapted cabin mood lighting settings create bright, dynamic lighting for the welcome and disembarkation phases and softer lighting for a more relaxed and serene atmosphere during the flight. Large luggage racks are easy to access. The center aisle is especially wide, allowing customers to move at ease.

Definitely a step forward for the French fleet, but nothing compared to the set-up designed by the American company JetBlue and also by Delta. Unfortunately, in Europe, on short- to medium-haul flights, we are doomed to see traditional airlines compete only with low-cost airlines in terms of in-flight comfort.

• A220