Industry A220 receives 180-minute ETOPS capability from Transport Canada

This achievement now paves the way for coming A220 customers to start new routings to underserved or remote destinations. Moreover, the aircraft is allowed to fly over water and can operates on non-limiting routings.

The ETOPS certification was issued by Transport Canada, a leading aviation authority in the country. Now, operators of the A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft are allowed to fly for up to 180-minutes from the nearest diversion airport.

Florent Massou, Head of Airbus’ A220 Programme commented: “This A220 ETOPS milestone adds to the numerous performance capabilities which the unbeatable A220 Family already offers.”

Rob Dewar, Head of Engineering and Customer Support, A220 Programme added: “Being the only in-production aircraft in its class capable of performing both steep approach and long-range operations, the A220 is definitely unlocking new route opportunities for airlines.”

With the approval for 180-minute ETOPS operations, Airbus seeks to attract a new customer base. Just recently, JetBlue and Start-Up airline Moxy announced to buy 60 A220-300 aircraft each. Moreover, leading U.S.-carrier Delta Air Lines announced to order 15 A220-300s and to convert existing orders for the smaller A220-100 to A220-300 aircraft.

ETOPS was originally set up by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) back in the mid-1980s. ETOPS allows commercial operations with twin-engine aircraft on routes beyond 60 minutes of flying time away from the nearest diversion airport.

Airbus took over Bombardier´s C-Series programme last year and renamed it to the A220 family. To date, the order book includes over 537 aircraft. In the 100-150 seat market, the A220 family is on its way to win the lion´s share of the segment.

All aircraft feature state-of-the-art PW1500G high-bypass engines from Pratt & Whitney. They lead to 20 percent lower fuel burn per seat when compared to previous generation aircraft. The A220 family offers a range of up to 3,200 nautical miles (5,920km) and can accommodate between 100 and 150 passengers.