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Delta is the first US airline to fly the new Airbus A220 jetliner. Here are its coolest features.

Feb 18, 2019, 20:40 IST

Airbus

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  • Delta Air Lines is the first carrier in the Americas to operate the new Airbus A220 airliner.
  • The Airbus A220, which began life as the Bombardier C-Series, is a state-of-the-art, 100-to-150-seat, single-aisle airliner.
  • Business Insider had the chance to experience the Delta A220's economy and first-class cabins. We were thoroughly impressed by its style, comfort, roominess, and in-flight amenities.

This month, Delta Air Lines became the first airline in the Americas to operate the new Airbus A220 airliner.

The A220, which began life as the Bombardier C-Series, is a state-of-the-art, 100-to-150-seat, single-aisle airliner. The Canadian jet is a clean-sheet design that incorporates the latest in commercial aviation technology, like a carbon-composite fuselage and fuel-sipping geared turbofan engines from Pratt & Whitney.

The plane, which entered service with Swiss in 2016, has earned praise from its operators for its exceptional fuel efficiency.

The A220 is currently assembled in Mirabel in Quebec, Canada. However, Airbus broke ground on a new A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, last month. That plant is expected to be completed in 2020.

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Read more: Boeing started a trade dispute with Canada, but Airbus and Alabama ended up being the winners.

For Delta, the A220 will serve primarily on short- and medium-haul domestic routes. The airline launched service with flights from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Boston and Dallas. Depending on the route, the Airbus will replace everything from small regional jets to 160-seat McDonnell Douglas MD-88s.

Business Insider had the chance to experience the Delta A220's economy and first-class cabins. We were thoroughly impressed by its style, comfort, roominess, and in-flight amenities.

Read more: We flew on the new Delta Airbus jet, which Boeing tried to keep out of the US, to see if it lives up to the hype. Here's the verdict.

A handful of the Delta Airbus A220's amenities stood out. In a commercial airliner, some features are attributable to the aircraft, such as the size of the overhead bins and the size of its windows, while others, such as the seats and the entertainment systems, are down to the airline.

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Here's a closer look at the Delta Air Lines Airbus A220's coolest features:

1. Wide economy seat: Delta's A220s boast some of the roomiest economy-class seats in the business at 18.6 inches wide. That's roughly two inches wider than the seats on some of Delta's MD-88s.

Delta's A220 economy cabin also boasts 32 inches of seat pitch, which is the space between two rows.

2. One middle seat: The middle seat is the least desirable place to be on a plane. Fortunately, the A220's economy cabin features only five seats per row in a 3-2 configuration.

This means there's only one middle seat per row.

3. Large windows: The A220's carbon-composite construction allows for the installation of larger windows than on traditional aluminum airliners.

4. Wireless in-flight entertainment system: Each seat onboard the A220 is equipped with Delta's new wireless in-flight entertainment system.

The system offers a good variety of movies ...

... TV shows ...

... live satellite TV ...

... music ...

... and a kids' section ...

... with adjustable background colors ...

... as well as menus for food and beverages ...

... a readout of different time zones ...

... various airport maps ...

... and a flight map. It was easy to use, and the screen quality was good.

5. Lots of places to charge your phone: There is a USB plug at each seat and ...

... traditional power sockets on every row.

6. Window in the bathroom: The A220 is equipped with three bathrooms, or lavatories in airline speak. One of them, the economy class lav on the captain's side in the rear of the plane, boasts a window. For flyers, this is a refreshing development as airplane bathrooms become claustrophobically small.

7. Mood lighting: The A220 cabin is bathed in rich blue mood lighting during flights. I'm a fan.

8. Massive overhead bins: The A220's overhead bins are massive, as they are designed to hold oversized luggage. In addition, they open five inches lower to facilitate easy loading and unloading.

9. Quiet engines: The Airbus A220 is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared-turbofan engines. They are whisper quiet even during takeoff, and they deliver 20% better fuel economy than current-generation engines.

10. Modern cockpit: The A220 boasts a thoroughly modern cockpit complete with five 15.1-inch high-definition displays. The aircraft also employs side stick controllers and fly-by-wire technology.

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