What are the differences between A220 and A319neo, and how do those make the A220 a more preferrable option for airlines than A319neo?
COMAC C919
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
A319 uses 320 engines.
A220 is more economical than A319. It weighs less yet can offer better performance. The only saving grace for the A319 is commonalities with the A320 series, yet even those potential savings cannot offset the pure efficiency that the A220 offers.
The operating cost is significantly lower for A220 than A319NEO because it's a clean-sheet design and 300 is the non-stretched variant. So initially, aircraft designer optimized everything around A220-300.
Now, certain airlines like Spirit still decide to pick A319NEO due to the cost savings from operating a single fleet vs dual fleet. There are a lot of additional redundancy and costs associated with adding fleet that I'd rather not get into.
But that's the trade off that airlines makes.
Just putting things in perspective. A220-300 for Jetblue has the same operating cost per trip as E90 despite have 40% more seats.
Its operating cost per seat is at same level at A320NEO (possibly even lower) despite having maybe 20-25 fewer seats. So normally, as aircraft gets larger, you'd expect cost per seat to go down, since you have to fill more seats at lower fares.
so economically, A220 series is currently the best aircraft in the market, but its production numbers are still low and Airbus doesn't want to cannibalize A320NEO sales.
You don't really have that problem with C919. So i've always suggested for COMAC to do C909 to replace ARJ-21. But you'd need the clean sheet to start at maybe 120 seat single class and extend to 170 seat
The A220 is a brand new airframe design specifically tailored for that weight class. So it has smaller wings which would weigh less than those in the A319. Plus it has extensive use of composites in the airframe including the wings. Also engines with the latest technology. The A319neo is just a shorter fuselage made of the bog standard A320 airframe from the 1980s. The only modern thing with the A319neo is that it uses new engines.
but how about many people do not like a 2-3 seats 'small' plane?
antiterror13
Brigadier
Well, money talks ... doesn't really matter whether you like it or not, for the majority of people, doesn't really matter as long as significantly cheaper, safe and < 3 hrs flight. Perhaps matter for some people, but not the majority
do those people like their money?