Airbus brings Airspace cabin experience to the A220
September 19, 2025
The Airbus A220—the smallest member of the Airbus family—is about to get a major cabin upgrade. Airbus has confirmed that its popular single-aisle jet will soon feature the award-winning Airspace cabin. It will bring many of the design elements and passenger comfort features found on the company’s widebody aircraft into the regional and short-to-medium-haul market segment.
The new Airspace cabin will debut on line-fit A220 aircraft from 2026, with retrofit options to follow. The development reflects Airbus’ aim to deliver a consistent passenger experience across its product portfolio.
The Airspace cabin architecture was a significant passenger experience enhancement on the A350, the aircraft on which it was first introduced. Airbus has since introduced Airspace cabins on the A330neo, and the A320 family of aircraft.
Exceptional passenger experience design from Bombardier CSeries to Airbus A220
The A220 began life as the Bombardier CSeries, launched in 2008 as a clean-sheet aircraft designed to fill the gap between regional jets and larger single-aisle airliners.
Development was challenging: Bombardier invested heavily in advanced technologies like composite wings, new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines, and a spacious five-abreast cabin layout aimed at disrupting the market.
The aircraft achieved certification in 2015 and entered service in 2016 with Swiss. Despite strong reviews for its performance and passenger comfort, high development costs and slower-than-expected early sales strained Bombardier’s finances.
In 2018, Airbus acquired a majority stake in the programme, rebranding it as the A220 and using its global sales and support network to drive orders. Bombardier fully exited the program in 2020.
Since then, the A220 has become a commercial success, securing hundreds of orders worldwide and earning a reputation for delivering one of the best passenger experiences in the single-aisle segment.
A cabin designed around the passenger
Since its introduction as the Bombardier CSeries, the A220 has earned one of the highest Net Promoter Scores of any single-aisle aircraft, a testament to its exceptional passenger-focused design.
“The starting point for the ‘clean-sheet’ A220 cabin design was really the passenger,” explains Jocelyn Gariépy, Airbus HO A220 Cabin and Cabin Systems Engineering. “What are their needs? What do they value most? And the answer was quite simple: plenty of space, a lot of natural light, exceptional comfort, a relaxing atmosphere and a variety of on-board services.”
Key elements which contribute to the A220 cabin’s popularity include:
- Spacious layout: A unique five-abreast economy configuration offers more width than regional jets and less density than larger single-aisle aircraft.
- Widest seats in class: At 18.5 inches, A220 economy seats are among the widest available in the segment.
- Larger windows: Each 11×16-inch window is positioned at eye level, providing abundant natural light and expansive views.
- Wide aisle and straight sidewalls: These features enhance the sense of space and ease of movement through the cabin.
- Accessibility: Lavatories can be reconfigured for wheelchair access, and the cabin is equipped with modern connectivity, including in-seat power, WiFi, and fourth-generation on-demand video.
These features have helped the A220 deliver what Airbus describes as a “widebody feel” on flights as short as 30 minutes or as long as seven hours.
Enter A220 Airspace: bigger bins, smarter lighting
The upcoming Airbus A220 Airspace Cabin introduces several signature elements from the Airspace brand:
- Airspace XL overhead bins: 20% lighter, with 15% more capacity, and redesigned mechanisms that simplify loading and closing — expected to reduce turnaround times and crew workload.
- New Passenger Service Units: Refreshed to align with the Airspace design language across other Airbus families.
- Advanced cabin lighting: +16 million colour LED options, including under-bin lighting, which airlines can customise to their branding and flight phases. Airbus says dynamic lighting can reduce jetlag effects by up to four hours.
“The A220 has already set a benchmark for passenger comfort in the single-aisle market,” said Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus Vice President of Cabin Marketing. “We’re so pleased to officially welcome the A220 into the Airspace family. This ensures our airline customers can offer the award-winning Airspace experience to their passengers across the full spectrum of Airbus aircraft.”
Looking ahead for the A220: higher capacity and greater efficiency
Alongside the Airspace rollout, Airbus also plans a higher-capacity variant of its smallest jet. Starting in 2027, the A220-300 will feature a new 160-seat layout, increasing maximum passenger capacity by around 10 seats and improving efficiency on higher-density routes.
With the introduction of Airspace, the A220 will cement its reputation as one of the most passenger-friendly single-aisle aircraft in service, while offering the design consistency of its larger Airbus stablemates.
