Airbus has embarked on a demonstration tour with an A220-300 to promote the twinjet following its acquisition of the programme earlier this year.
The airframer is to use an Air Baltic aircraft, which is attending the Airshow China event in Zhuhai, to perform a tour circuit to four other cities.
It will operate the twinjet to Chengdu on 9 November, before flying on to Koh Samui in Thailand the following day.
The A220 will then visit the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on 11 November and Istanbul on 12 November, before returning to Air Baltic’s base in Riga.
Airbus says the tour is a “great opportunity” to show off the A220 to carriers, and to demonstrate its “outstanding characteristics, comfort and performance”.
The airframer has not stated whether it is attempting to appeal to specific carriers in each city.
Chengdu Airlines is an Airbus A320-family operator – including the A319, to which Airbus views the A220 as a potential successor – but is expanding with the Chinese-built Comac ARJ21.
Bangkok Airways is similarly an A319 operator, and is the manager of Koh Samui airport. Kathmandu is the base for Nepal Airlines but also Himalaya Airlines, both users of the A320.
Airbus says the A220 has orders for over 400 aircraft. The airframer had delivered eight A220s between 1 July and 30 September, the first quarter with the aircraft in its production portfolio.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
