Air Canada has announced that it will be the launch customer for the Airbus Airspace cabin on the A220 family of aircraft. These new cabins will provide customers with more overhead bin space, with the new bins scheduled to be delivered in early 2026.
The new cabins are expected to be an enhancement of onboard comfort and convenience as the new XL oversized bins are expected to increase carry-on capacity by more than 15%. This means fewer gate checked bags for travelers, especially those boarding with later zones.
Installation of the new bins has also been timed to coincide with additional upgrades by Canada’s flag carrier, including an updated cabin interior and seat back entertainment. With the retrofits occurring simultaneously, passengers will get to experience all of the upgrades at once.
John Moody, Managing Director of Onboard Product at Air Canada, had this to say about the rollout of the new Aerospace cabin:
“The A220 has already become a favourite among our customers, and we’re thrilled to be the launch customer for the next cabin evolution of this Canadian-designed and assembled aircraft. At Air Canada, we’re always looking for opportunities to evolve our products and make travel more comfortable and convenient. The introduction of larger overhead bins on future A220s means more space for your belongings, quicker boarding, and an even better experience on board.”
Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Marketing at Airbus, added:
“We are extremely happy to launch the A220 Airspace cabin with Air Canada and very proud the Canadian flag carrier is introducing our latest innovation to support its fleet renewal programme. Through the introduction of the A220 Airspace cabin, we now enable a fully consistent passenger experience on all our platforms providing widebody comfort on single aisle aircraft.”
As a frequent flyer, I am a big fan of the Airbus A220. First Class can be a bit tight due to the narrower cabin cross section when compared to a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 but, the 2-3 seating in Economy is fantastic. Only 20% of the seats onboard are middle seats and the A220 has the widest Economy seats in its class.
Though I haven’t flown Air Canada’s A220’s, I’ve had great experiences on Delta and would seek out the A220 when traveling, especially if I’m flying with Mrs. ATX. Air Canada currently operates 34 Airbus A220-300 aircraft with a further 31 on order.
Summary
Air Canada is set to become the launch customer of Airbus’ new Aerospace cabin on its A220-300 fleet. The Canadian flag carrier will retrofit its existing aircraft with the new cabin and, at the same time, upgrade the cabin interior and seatback IFE. The new cabins are expected to be installed in early 2026.
