Airbus has initiated a concerted outreach to airlines and aircraft leasing companies to gauge interest in a larger version of its A220 regional jet, according to industry sources. The outreach is intended to accumulate enough orders to make a business case for developing a roughly 180-seat model referred to internally as the A220-500.
The campaign marks the beginning of substantive commercial discussions ahead of any formal development decision. Sources said the effort is intended to secure commitments that would justify proceeding with what Airbus describes as a "simple stretch" design, moving the programme from concept toward a potential launch.
Those familiar with the matter indicated that Airbus hopes to have the commercial groundwork in place prior to a possible unveiling. A launch announcement could come as early as the Farnborough Airshow in July, the sources said.
Airbus representatives spoke with financiers on the sidelines of the Airlines Economics conference in Dublin, saying that 2026 would be a "big year" for the A220 family and that additional details would be provided in due course, the sources added. Any decision to proceed with the stretch would require approval from the Airbus board.
An Airbus spokesperson reiterated that the company is exploring all options for the A220, while continuing to prioritise ramping up production and supporting existing customers. The spokesperson's comments underscore that, even as new variants are considered, ongoing production and customer service remain core focuses.
The outreach and preparatory negotiations aim to align demand signals from carriers and lessors with Airbus's internal decision-making process. By attempting to secure sufficient pre-launch orders, Airbus seeks to reduce commercial risk before committing to the development phase and board approval.
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At this stage, Airbus is working through customer engagement and production priorities while leaving any substantive development green light to a future board decision.