Delta Air Lines Starts Airbus A220 Operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

After nearly six years, Delta Air Lines has finally brought one of its new types of narrow-body aircraft to its hometown airport. On Saturday, the legacy US carrier began deploying its Airbus A220s from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

The aircraft will operate three routes from the hub, on nearly 200 flights in total. Although it will join other aircraft types on one route to the east, it will be the exclusive operator on two other, longer routes to the west.

ATL’s first A220 routes

According to aviation data and analytics provider Cirium, Delta is using its A220-300 aircraft for the first time at ATL. As the world’s largest operator of this aircraft type, the airline also operates the smaller A220-100 variant. However, it will continue to operate flights to the airline’s other hubs and target cities. The A220-300 is expected to operate three routes from ATL, serving Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Photo: Robin Devine | Shutterstock

This month, Delta has a total of 392 flights scheduled between ATL and IAD. The A220-300 will operate twice daily, operating a total of 95 flights – 48 to IAD and 47 to ATL. As an undoubtedly popular route, Delta will notably use five other aircraft types to support its capacity. The A319, A320, A321, Boeing 717 and 737-800 will join the A220-300.

The A319, which carries only two more passengers than the A220-300, will be deployed on a total of 149 flights on the route. The larger A320 is scheduled for 65 flights, while the A321 will only be deployed once in each direction. Among Boeing’s aircraft, the 717 will operate 42 flights and the 737-800 is expected to operate 39.

Across the country to California

The other two routes operated by the A220-300 are longer cross-country flights to California, and it will be the only aircraft in Delta’s fleet to be deployed once a day. Between ATL and BUR, the plane is scheduled for 48 flights this month – 24 in each direction. According to Delta, the airline has served this route before, but it has never been operated by an A220. The carrier also operates daily flights from BUR to its hub at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

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While the ATL-BUR route returns, the trip between ATL and SBA is all new. In total, 47 flights are planned on the A220-300 this month: 24 westbound and 23 eastbound. The new service complements Delta’s existing service between SBA and SLC.

Airplane accommodation

Delta’s A220-300s can accommodate 130 passengers in a two-class configuration. In first class, there are 12 reclining seats divided 2-2. The seats are 20.5 inches wide and 37 inches pitched. The main cabin has 118 seats divided into 2-3. 30 Delta Comfort+ seats are 18.6 inches wide and 34 inches of recline, while the remaining 88 standard seats are also 18.6 inches wide, but have a recline ranging from 31 to 33 inches depending on where the passenger is seated.

Photo: Delta Airlines

The aircraft also has Wi-Fi, in-seat USB power, in-seat power outlets and seatback screens with live TV for in-flight entertainment. Delta took delivery of its first A220 in October 2018. The carrier is one of three U.S. airlines to operate A220 family aircraft, but is the only airline to jointly operate the A220-100 in its fleet. Breeze Airways and JetBlue Airways only operate the A220-300.

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