Delta, JetBlue & Breeze: How The US Airlines Use The Airbus A220

The Airbus A220 has an interesting market position. Almost no major airline is still ordering the A220-100, but the A220-300 is competing in the same space as the successful Airbus A319-100 and Boeing 737-700, yet it's optimized for this size segment. The industry is generally favoring larger narrowbodies, but the A220-300 is remarkably efficient for its role and is being rewarded in the market.

In the US, three airlines have taken notice of the A220's qualities and have placed large orders. Delta Air Lines is not only the largest US operator of the A220, but it's the type's largest operator worldwide. In total, it has ordered 145 A220s, split between 45 A220-100s and 100 A220-300s.

It was also the first US customer for the A220, having ordered the type even back when it was called the Bombardier CSeries. Meanwhile, JetBlue has ordered 100 A220s, all of which are the A220-300 model, while Breeze Airways has ordered a total of 90 A220s, again purchasing only the A220-300.

How The A220 Is Positioned Within Each Airline's Fleets

Delta is notable for being the only one of these three US carriers to fly the A220-100, and it's also the only full-service US airline to fly the A220. This does mean that it has other aircraft that are roughly the same size as the A220, with the Boeing 717-200 having virtually the same capacity as the A220-100, while the A319-100 seats about the same number of passengers as the A220-300.

However, Delta's fleet and operational structures are more complicated than assigning aircraft based on capacity. JetBlue and Breeze Airways, meanwhile, both used the A220 to directly replace older aircraft. For JetBlue, the A220-300 was used to replace the Embraer E190, and the A220-300 did the same at Breeze Airways as well (Breeze also operated the E195).

For Breeze, however, the A220 is also being used to grow the airline into a serious competitor to other low-cost carriers in the US, as it never amassed a huge fleet of Embraers before receiving the A220. JetBlue, meanwhile, is more established. Breeze Airways deploys the A220 out of every operating base, as this is its only aircraft type today.

JetBlue has been more limited in where it bases the aircraft, generally keeping the A220 at its hubs in Boston, JFK, and Fort Lauderdale. Meanwhile, Delta has set up A220 crew bases out of its hubs in New York, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and most recently, Minneapolis. You'll see A220s from all three airlines in the eastern part of the US, but it's mainly Delta that deploys the A220s in the western part of the country.

The Role Of The A220 In Delta's Fleet

Delta Air Lines tends to focus on an aircraft's age and fuel efficiency to determine their usage, with newer, more fuel-efficient types being deployed on longer flights and used for more hours of the day than older, less efficient aircraft. While the A220's lower capacity does mean that it's not deployed on the same routes as the A321neo, it is primarily used for longer domestic services.

While the A220 also operates shorter routes like New York-Chicago, it's the longer services like Seattle-Washington National that are the aircraft's bread and butter. The A220-100s have almost the exact same number of seats as Delta's 717s, but the airline uses the 717 for regional routes that were previously flown under the Delta Connection brand at high frequencies.

When the 717s go, it won't be A220-100s taking over this role, but rather older A319s, A320s, and 737s, as the 717 operates some of Delta's shortest routes. The A220-100s, on the other hand, are deployed on longer routes with lower frequencies, nearly the opposite of how the 717s are used, and the A220-300 is used in a similar capacity.

In addition to the general role that the A220 plays within Delta's fleet, acquiring the aircraft also unlocked additional 76-seat regional jets as per the airline's pilot scope clauses, which classify the A220 as a small narrowbody type. American Airlines does not have similar language in its scope agreement, and the A220 therefore doesn't offer this benefit. Meanwhile, United's scope agreement would see the airline unlock more large regional jets if it acquired a small narrowbody type.

JetBlue And The A220

Whereas the A220 is just one of multiple aircraft types within Delta's fleet, it is a core aircraft for JetBlue. The only other type that the Long Island City-based carrier operates is the A320 family, and it's delayed the delivery of new A321neos for the next few years, whereas A220s are still coming in at full speed.

These planes are extremely cheap to operate, and they have effectively taken the role of the Embraer E190 as JetBlue's smallest aircraft, with the E190 having been retired in 2025. JetBlue does operate the A220 to some Caribbean destinations, but the airline's primary mission for the aircraft is domestic flights.

In addition, while the aircraft's efficiency makes it excellent for longer routes (like transcontinental services), it's also heavily used on shorter routes to destinations with less demand or where JetBlue faces heavy competition. Atlanta, for example, generally has strong demand to New York but is dominated by Delta Air Lines, while Pittsburgh is a relatively small spoke. Within JetBlue's fleet, the A220 serves as its smallest aircraft, featuring 140 seats in an all-economy layout.

This is ten more than what Delta installs on its A220-300s, which isn't a significant difference considering that the Atlanta-based legacy airline installs a first class cabin on these planes. As the airline continues to face financial difficulties and revise its network, the A220s have become increasingly important as the airline's smallest planes with the lowest operating costs, and the A220-300 fleet is now JetBlue's second-largest, behind the A320-200.

The Airbus A220 At Breeze Airways

For JetBlue, the A220 is a core aircraft within the airline's fleet, while it serves a smaller role within Delta's fleet. For Breeze Airways, however, the A220 is the only aircraft type that it operates, and it's the only type that it has flown in high numbers. Breeze started with the Embraer E195, but it only ever flew seven examples and only ten E190s. Both types have since been retired, and the airline now operates 66 A220s, with 24 still on order.

Despite being a fairly new airline, Breeze is the world's third-largest A220 operator. Breeze's business model is all about operating point-to-point routes, connecting underserved spokes to major leisure destinations. The airline operates routes as short as Orlando-Key West and as long as Las Vegas-Windsor Locks, and the A220 is the ideal platform for a new airline like Breeze to cut operating costs while also operating a diverse route network.

What's more, the airline saves money by operating only one type of aircraft, and its large orders for the A220 meant that Breeze surely received attractive pricing for the aircraft. The A220 has been bought by multiple smaller airlines, ranging from airBaltic to Air Niugini, and it's also becoming more appealing to low-cost carriers.

For example, Air Asia ordered 150 A220-300s earlier in 2026. The A220 has appealing operating costs while also having excellent range, making it extremely versatile, and airlines have been taking notice. As such, the A220 has received over 1,100 orders, significantly outselling the competing Airbus A319neo, Boeing 737 MAX 7, and Embraer E2.

The Future Evolution Of A220 Operations In The US

Delta's original order for the A220 back when it was named the CSeries consisted of 75 CS100s/A220-100s, but the airline converted the last 30 of these orders to the A220-300 while bumping up its orders for the larger variant. All 45 A220-100s have been delivered, and Delta will operate 100 A220-300s once all is said and done.

For the most part, these will continue to serve the same role as today, apart from Delta possibly adding the A220 to more hubs in the future. JetBlue is rapidly growing its A220 fleet while it has deferred A321neo deliveries until 2030. Although the A321neo can earn more money when full, the A220 is a cheaper aircraft to buy and to operate.

The airline is therefore focusing on the A220, which is the only aircraft type that it's receiving for now. What's more, JetBlue will eventually operate 100 A220-300s, meaning that the type will become even more prevalent throughout its network as the backbone of the fleet alongside its A320-200s.

Entering the airline industry is notoriously tricky due to the massive capital costs and inherent difficulty in gaining market share, particularly in the US. Breeze Airways, however, is posting occasional profits, and although it is not consistently profitable yet, the airline is on an upward track so far. As the airline grows, it will eventually operate 90 A220s that will be deployed across the country as Breeze aims to become a major national competitor.