airBaltic: The World's Only All-Airbus A220 Airline

[@stickynorth]

The A220 is probably the most future proof of all the existing airliners so its good to see some innovative companies go all in now!

[@alexbaxatob8902]

Am from Latvia, often fly by AirBaltic, these jets are perfect. Trust me, nothing's better.

[@rayanaltowayan9558]

Except the a350

[@gteixeira]

And the Embraer E-Jets.

[@rayanaltowayan9558]

@@gteixeira hell on earth 😂😂😂😭😭

[@gteixeira]

@@rayanaltowayan9558 I never had any issues. They are quite spartan, however, but at least they are very hardy, reliable and safe. That's why airlines have been keeping these for the past 20 years with very few retired so far.

[@rayanaltowayan9558]

@@gteixeira interesting, I must admit they are very advanced aircraft, and they look good too. In Saudi we used to have a lot of them but we had to retire then because we had problems with the CG actually.

[@joshoriordan3325]

Big fan of the special liveries for each of the three Baltic countries.

[@MrCodwaw101]

Same here! Whichever Baltic country has the blue in its flag is lucky! I love that shade of blue lol 😆😆😆 🇪🇪🇪🇪🇪🇪

[@joshoriordan3325]

@@MrCodwaw101 that would be Estonia

[@MrCodwaw101]

@@joshoriordan3325 good to know! Thank you! 😊

[@Crimson19977]

Estonian flag: 🇪🇪 Latvian flag: 🇱🇻 Lithuanian flag: 🇱🇹 You're welcome 😅​@@MrCodwaw101

[@noibns]

Air Baltic is taking no more of a risk in operating A-220's than Ryanair is taking in operating all B-737's. Proudly Canadian aircraft, as well.

[@gteixeira]

Ryanair operates different variants of the 737, so they even out the risks. The dominant variant usually has a many years of service and very unlikely to be entirely grounded.

[@peppapig9987]

Dosent southwest operate only 737's too?

[@phillipparrish5577]

Or Southwest....

[@cupcake0011]

@@gteixeira Ryan Air only operates 737-800 and 737-8max.

[@cupcake0011]

@@peppapig9987 southwest Airlines is just an American cheap copy of Ryanair.

[@cupcake0011]

The a220 is a perfect plane if you want to land on under-rated airports or airports with short runways while having a decent range.

[@gteixeira]

So does the Embraer E Jets.

[@dopepopeurban6129]

Problem is that you can’t offer standardized cargo services though.

[@gteixeira]

@@dopepopeurban6129 All regional jets have this issue. They are optimized for small passenger numbers so their internal space is tight and can't be used the same way as a B737 or an A320.

[@cupcake0011]

@@gteixeira The regional jets are designed for under-rated places

[@gteixeira]

@@cupcake0011 You mean remote places with little infrastructure? Indeed, that's what I heard from an Embraer pilot. Embraer are built like trucks and parts are easy to obtain and to work on the plane, specially when you have a breakdown far from the base. The same pilot said that a CRJ-200 in his company has been grounded for a few months due to a broken windshield, and they can't figure to repair a such simple part. When they needed a part for any Embraer, they either had it in stock somewhere in the US or they would fly a technician with the part and tools in the luggage all the way from Brazil to get the plane fixed right away. Good luck dealing with these A220s in the future when they need parts. They are just an international airport 'regional jet'.

[@KH-ps5yj]

Been on an airbaltic flight from Copenhagen to Riga. The cabin was fresh modern and clean. Love it.

[@GarryWan666]

As an aviation logistician, I am sure this has always been a smart move by Air Baltic, it was certainly a little risky to only purchase one type of aircraft, however that has saved a lot for the airline in terms of pilot training and maintenance. Air Baltic's A220 livery are brilliantly beautiful and cool!

[@Thomasshelbysigmamafia222]

Yes but airbaltic buys the planes with the countries money

[@juriscervenaks8953]

@@Thomasshelbysigmamafia222 What do you mean by that? Latvian country have 96,14 % shares in Air Baltic. But that doesn't mean Latvian tax payers give money to Air Baltic. It only means that Government decides what to do with companies profits, and it can block some companies decisions, if government don't like them. But on day to day basis company decides what to do, where to spend money.

[@minitrundle]

The irony of Airbus calling it the A220 after Boeing wanting a 220% tax on the CS300.

[@slypear]

lolol - good one

[@mp4373]

Airbus has a good sense of humor

[@vibecheck663]

am Latvian, cool to see you talk about airBaltic

[@Jakobly]

scary how much power Boeing has in the US Government, of course it’s funny though when it doesn’t work out in their favor. the a220 will be what the 727 and MD-80 were in the 80s, *every* airline will have them

[@KH-ps5yj]

And they call themselves a free market economy, with all the government money going to Boeing. And it's very common for Boeing staffs to work for FAA and lobbying organizations after their services at Boeing, or vice versa. Total corruption.

[@Jakobly]

@@KH-ps5yj yeah fr and they’re having issues w their military aircraft as well, the KC-46 tanker required a major recall to make it operational last year

[@LegitimateCK4120]

Good comparison with the 727 and MD-80. Even airlines like Air France and the American Big 3 placing orders for them, they're such versatile little planes and Airbus would be stupid to not make an A220-500

[@ljpr360]

So happy to see our Canadian made A220s find new homes around the world. I wish there was more than one engine option though, that or P&W need to improve.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

You did well to survive at all given the Boeing heavy haded bully boy tactics. Its such a great plane, they couldn't kill it, true engineering skills won thru, its a pity you had to lose the indepenence but I guess Airbus has got the reach and platform, they'll sell many more, you'll end up building more then you probably would have. Is the R and D and development work staying in Canada? Hope so, you need to keep good successful teams together and this lot are very, very good

[@kiraasuka9943]

@@Cheeseatingjunglista until white house burn down again by Canadian. i can't wait as an American

[@erictremblay4940]

@@Cheeseatingjunglista Sufficient R&D has been retained to ensure continual product improvements etc. But more ressources will definitely be required when the so called A200-500 is launched.

[@Ephoros]

My first flight ever was in a Lithuanian flag A220. The whale song was surprising, but still a very nice first experience.

[@bremsenreinigerkonsument3424]

Hello! I am from Latvia. I really miss our 735´s as well as the Fokker 50 and DHC-8 Q400 aircraft in the fleet. Still remember how on airBaltic´s Fokker 50 they served beer, whiskey and vodka in flight as well as cute little stuffed animals to children. Lovely times back then in the late 2000´s with airBaltic! Unfortunately I´ve never come to fly on their 757 aircraft they operated for some short time period. Sveicieni no Rīgas! 🖐

[@alexbaxatob8902]

Sveiciens no Mārupes))

[@bremsenreinigerkonsument3424]

@@alexbaxatob8902 haha vot es zinu kādu čali kas dzīvo Vētrās, koroče es kā spotteris diemžēl esmu no Pārdaugavas (raugoties no lidostas puses). Tātad man drusku tālāks ceļš līdz lidmašīnām))

[@l2etranger]

Absolutely! Airlines operations costs are so expensive, it’s been well established long ago that a single type aircraft alleviates many of their aspects. Maintenance, fuel, repairs, airports taxes, insurance, training and safety and security that govern the airworthiness of an aircraft prohibits operating another type. Not to mention guest services of any kind that contribute directly to the brand reputation of an airline could make the accountant scream.

[@scpatl4now]

This aircraft had the luck (or maybe it was just good forethought by Bombardier) to be exactly the right aircraft coming to market at the right time. Fuel efficient and able to provide more frequency to smaller markets due to it being able to land on shorter runways, this aircraft fills a void in the market. It is also a much more comfortable to fly on than the alternatives.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

There are several vids here on YT that cover the development of the C series, they already had a fairly successful regional aircraft programme and based on that expn specifically aimed at this niche. Turns out to have been a true bulls eye shot in the final delivery however deliberate the target

[@kiraasuka9943]

Well I will find out soon. I've had long haul a220 already from lax to Montreal and will take a 737max soon

[@slypear]

Yeah, not a believer in "luck" when it comes to aviation. That Airbus saw an opportunity to ding Boeing and acted on it is pure genius.

[@mic7504]

Not being one of the big aircraft manufacturing companies Canadair and de Havilland Canada (the companies Bombardier fused into Bombardier Aviation) had always relied on very careful market studies to determine where to take focus their development teams when not fulfilling cold war era military orders. Canadair would develop the CL-214 water bombers based on market studies but needed a plane that would keep their facilities busy for decades and not just years. So the Canadair Reginal Jet or CRJ would come out of a market study that looked at the feasibility of stretching their Challenger Business Jet (now the Bombardier Global line). De Havilland Canada had been looking for a direction to take it's bush planes/ military STOL transport line. The US Airforce took over all transport roles from the US Army and had indicated they would not be supporting a niche smaller than the Hercules. So for DHC the Caraboo and Buffalo STOL transports were a dead end. Instead through market studies they saw the future of the hub and spoke regional aircraft airline feeder system. Their first design placed an emphasis on keeping the STOL abilities with the DASH7 aircraft. But even though it was successfully used by several small American airlines to start grow in to regional giants, further market studies showed the airlines didn't want to do maintenance on a four engined aircraft. And that the FAA predicted growth of super-small regional airports was not going to occur anytime soon, caused the development of the non-STOL DASH-8/Bombardier Q-Series. The DASH8 proved to be the perfect aircraft for a market the average person had no idea was going to exist. The C-Series was, as has been pointed out, Bombardier's market study of how they could differentiate themselves in a +150 seat aircraft with out going toe to toe with the now two remaining large airline producers. (no idea why I wrote so much, hope you enjoyed)

[@meowmeow2759]

It was designed during high gas prices, released during low gas prices but now seen as a smart move during gas price surge. I remember when ppl were saying this aircraft was useless and the C-series was struggling to get sales.

[@grahambaker6664]

The A220 looks like the right aircraft for Air Baltic passenger operations. I think they should consider converting a couple of the Dash 8s to freighters to run Helsinki and Warsaw cargo flights not just for revenue but to have a pilot development stream to get cadets from the Baltic countries' flight schools up to 1500 hours minimum for their ATPL before converting the best pilots over to the A220.

[@drdewott9154]

We'll see about that. Let's not forget the 3 Baltic states are also in the middle of other projects, most notably Rail Baltica. A brand new high speed and freight rail corridor going North to South between the countries from Tallinn all the way to Warsaw. Its still relatively early in development but its still progressing well, and is certainly also much more efficient and environmentally friendly for freight than a plane. Their Turboprops could be useful for stuff like trials with green fuels though as I imagine turboprops would be much easier to convert to environmentally friendly fuels like Methanol or Hydrogen than a Jet engine.

[@chrismckellar9350]

At the time there was going to be risks in operating an all A220 fleet but as time has shown, it has paid off. If owned an airlins that that a route structure like Air Baltic, I would differently have an all A220 fleet.

[@thearsenalmisfit2414]

The A220 is my new favorite narrow bodied aircraft . Nothing comes close. It's a shame that Bombardier had to give it up as the company could have used the C Series as a spring board to bigger and better things.

[@MrJimheeren]

They now have the backing of Airbus. So there is plenty of money to built new variants of the A220

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

@@MrJimheeren True... but Airbus will take the profits. Would have been nice to see another company break into the business.

[@MrJimheeren]

@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Bombardier sold the C series to Airbus. The guys in Canada building the thing just work for Airbus now

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

@@MrJimheeren Yah, i know. Bombardier practically gave the C-series to Airbus... in order to keep the factories in Quebec running. While it's true that it would have been an uphill battle, the C-Series felt so close to restoring some of Canada's rich Aviation history. Now it's beholden to the whims of France's Airbus.

[@MrJimheeren]

@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Airbus is a consortium. Spain, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and France all have big finger in the pot

[@soup1029]

This is taking fleet commonality to a whole other level

[@cyclonicleo]

Can't wait to fly the A200...and I usually can't stand narrow bodies! There's just something about this aircraft that seems very right. Well done to AirBalic for taking the gamble, it seems like its really paid off for them.

[@karlossargeant3872]

The Airbus A220-300's operating by Air Baltic is a good move by The Latvian Airline I hope they'll include the A220-500's in the upcoming years if Airbus decides to make themselves after The Airbus A321XLR's Launch for Next Year which I hope to see happen in that year God's Willing Awesome Video!!!!

[@patrickbirley8659]

I fly with them sometimes, great airline. great video : )

[@themorethemerrier281]

I just flew with them two weeks ago. Can't complain! You can see there's a lot of weight optimisation going on.

[@Sikstryls]

Im from estonia, Tallinn is a secondary hub for airBaltic

[@frankdoll4556]

After Boeing bought out McDonnell Douglas and stoped the production of the MD-88, MD-90, and MD-95 Aircraft, they left that niche open for Bombardier/Airbus to fill it. Wouldn’t surprise me to see many former MD Operators acquire A220’s as those Mad Dogs were the backbone of many Airline Fleets around the world.

[@scpatl4now]

Delta has gone in heavily for this aircraft to replace their McDonnell Douglas aircraft that they finally retired in the pandemic (as well as the 717...which technically is an MD aircraft too)

[@dannyspualding417]

Quantas is replacing their 717 fleet with the A220s too

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

I think that it was a bit of a reverse take over where a lot of the McD men seem to have major input on future Boeing policy, seem to have been dazzled by we ARE big boys now, we dont need these little planes no more. OOps, it seems airlines still do!

[@kathy8770]

@@dannyspualding417 Qantas*

[@jouniairplanevideos]

If you have those issues with PW engines a whole fleet of it is a risk. But globally a decent plane flying at a great airline

[@cupcake0011]

The a220 neo would fix that issue in the future.

[@harstoft]

No different from South West’s and Ryanair’s 737s all having the same engines.

[@cupcake0011]

@@harstoft I agree, either way, having the same engines technically means that there will be no differential performances on the same type of aircraft.

[@jouniairplanevideos]

@@harstoft a CS300 doesn't use leap engines

[@ViktorFromDK]

@@jouniairplanevideos uhm no body mentioned a specific engines but a exampel of airlines that only use one type of engines on all planes

[@maxcarbers]

Actually got a really blood nice interior

[@shero113]

I just realised why Airbus named it the A220, because Boeing imposed a 220% tax! Funny I never realised it before now.

[@gunvaldsandhaland7757]

love the a220,good job

[@Adzhiks]

yea i've been on multyple flights with the airbaltic a220's from RIX to TFS and i must say that its a comfortable yet very small aircraft but it is quite quiet, the tables are stable (i've slept on them..) it handles tubrulance very nicely, the engine spool is very nice. but yea.. still dont know if i like it or not..

[@Luke_Go]

Because of airBaltic, I believe that Breeze has a good chance of success

[@sebastian.stamour]

I live near KBDL which is a focus city for Breeze. I'm really excited about them.

[@Luke_Go]

@@sebastian.stamour Nice. I think they'll have some teething-issues, but I believe in them long-term.

[@scpatl4now]

@@Luke_Go It's a great product, I hope they will be financially viable since their aircraft are actually comfortable to fly on.

[@themomentchannel3498]

Air Baltic should maybe order some A330 neos and launch some long haul routes?

[@strykerwillcost95]

Gauss said in the in an interview that the company has no intrest in going long-haul.Thier future intrest is in the Baltic and surrounding region

[@human962]

Hmm, saw an Air Baltic Q400 a week ago at Vilnius Airport. Was rare then.

[@charliewigh5888]

I have Done the catering part om 2 planes that was in the video

[@MARINECORPS61992113]

There's gonna be two all A220 airlines in the world

[@magnustan841]

sticking to a single type is an inherent risk airlines that choose to do it, face. They should be prepared to wet-lease aircraft if their fleet develops a problem. Nevertheless, the reward in terms of consistency in training and operations, flexibility and maintenance far outweigh the risk, since so many regional and LCCs do it. Still yet to fly the A220, the closest operator to me is Korean Air, which is 6 hours flying time away, so it requires some effort.

[@postmodgent1499]

They can add a few A321XLR and A350 later

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

If you wait a year or so they will migrate south and the birds will sing its engine noise back to you!! As SG Mynahs dont migrate, so you'll have to wait for the planes to migrate...sorry. But really, they will be everywhere soon

[@kaxen123]

I was on a A220 air Baltic flight from Stockholm to Amsterdam last Sunday. The left engine made some weird noises right after we took off from the ground. I have never heard that type of noise before on a airplane. Now after watching the video I know that the airplane has had a lot of problems with the engines. Maybe it explains why the engine was roaring in a such a crazy way right after take off.

[@kaxen123]

I would also like to add that I genuinely thought we would have to divert to the closest airport right after takeoff. The sound was so spooky, nothing I have ever heard on a airplane before. But then suddenly it stopped after a minute or so.. Hopefully they will solve their engine problems before something tragic happens.

[@LatvianTanker]

Maybe you mean the "whale singing"? A220 likes to "sing" on take offs or when landing.

[@jansonb482]

Its the gearing of the P&W engines

[@drerri]

@@kaxen123 that is absolutely normal, i've flown with these planes around 20 times.

[@ign_Start]

Yeaaah! That’s it ❤❤❤❤

[@chaoszombie9995]

I can’t wrap my head around how much I Hate Boeing for their petition 😶 they are worried about a market they haven’t been in for the past 20 years 😂

[@uriblaketheriddimprotege]

They essentially forced Bombardier to be a private jet maker. On paper the C Series is arguably the best commercial jet in the sky, narrow or wide body.

[@slypear]

Ditto. I grew up in Wichita, too~ (Then again, I was born in Montreal!)

[@chaoszombie9995]

@@uriblaketheriddimprotege it was.. and it sucks.. BUT.. Airbus would have probably made more money off it than bombardier would have :(

[@andyvu4577]

maybe in future, a220-500, a220-700

[@stickynorth]

It's gonna happen for sure just as long as the backlog of existing orders gets cleared up. There are already partners like Air France who are apparently just waiting for its launch for it to be ordered which bodes well for the future of the series! And I am sure if it weren't for Covid it would have happened by now...

[@andyvu4577]

@@stickynorth if that is the case, a320 neo family will have less orders for a319/a320 neo. Only a321 Neo XLR will remain as it serves 200 seats category with 8500km in range (a league of its own atm)

[@Archduke17]

A single-type fleet has worked well for Southwest.

[@daklakdigital3691]

I LOVE THE 220, GREAT CANADIAN PRODUCT. AND THE DOORS DON'T FALL OFF, EITHER.

[@k9killer221]

No risk at all, and Air Baltic will get the first crack at the A220-500 if they need a higher capacity plane later on.

[@MrPsychomonkey]

Replacing 50 engines in 2 years? Wow

[@kasparspavlovskis7198]

Airbaltic 😊👍

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

It's too painful to hear them call it the CS-300. RIP Bombardier.

[@2001sixflags]

Correction: They have the CSeries AND and the A220!! 😂

[@flybywire5866]

AirBaltic is a rather small airline, so they really need to operate cost efficient. This plane seems to be just the right plane for them.

[@The_G_89]

If they want to they could try out some Airbus A320 NEOs to reduce emissions or if they need more planes.

[@neurocidesakiwi]

Can someone, anyone, please tell Air New Zealand to get some Airbus A220's.

[@dalydegagne1839]

Great video - many thanks! However, the background music at times was too loud to the point of being invasive. Music is not necessary, especially with videos as well scripted and produced as yours are.

[@aijavanaga8569]

Good company, good comfort, definitely better than Ryanair.

[@arindamkumar7725]

What makes the A220 so fuel efficient?

[@LegitimateCK4120]

It's made with composite materials and uses brand new efficient engines. Basically the same philosophy of design as the new A350s and 787s, but on a smaller plane

[@wagnerbejaranocarvalho9971]

Good Morning this is the natural course of industries ailines, flts with up to 7hs flt will operated by one single aisle acft. Airbus A33o-200 will phase out or retired.

[@aviatormoili7220]

Finnair next?

[@justplanenuts5541]

I'm really hoping that maybe BA and Flybe will get some of these.

[@Innercityoutdoorsman]

Southwest airlines is a all 737 fleet you should do a video of them

[@Dave_Sisson]

They did a couple of months ago.

[@IDK_Im_not_creative770]

airBaltic: Only uses A220 B737, B737 MAX, B777, B777-X, B787, A320, A320neo, A330, A330neo, A350, CJR200, CJR700, CJR900 CJR1000, MC-21, Sukhoi superjet 100: I am joke to you

[@NorskLV]

My gana fly with air baltic to latvia how long will I stay in latvia 3 weeks

[@AirportPlaneSpotting]

Also Air Baltic: Operates DHC-8s

[@krebssfish9370]

Not anymore

[@xrq3223]

They changed 50 engines?! What the hell?!!

[@erictremblay4940]

The PW engines had some seals that degraded early. Had to change engines like every 1000 hrs (or something like that??). That problem has been corrected since.

[@xrq3223]

@@erictremblay4940 damn, that’s sounds so expensive, I hope the airline doesn’t need to pay for that

[@erictremblay4940]

@@xrq3223 That was all paid by Pratt&Whitney (labor, parts and downtime)

[@jpdurr]

Balderdash! Plenty of Airlines successfully operate a single aircraft type (with Boeing's 737 being the most).

[@xavi-23]

The joke about february 22nd made no sense, it would have made more sense for just february 20th.

[@patschannel9513]

I think that as good as the A220 is if the aircraft itself experiences issues like the 737 MAX then airbaltic might be in trouble as its fleet consists ofonly a220 aircraft

[@FalconX88]

In depth look into the fleet....it has 34 A220-300...thanks for watching, please subscribe!

[@wrcfan2024]

I am from latvia

[@miran77]

Waiting to fly and make my vlog for my channel a220 is dream to fly

[@subscribers151]

Hi

[@cbawitlife]

funni fact: you can't say airbaltic without 'bal' (and that's funni IMO.)

[@sergejsviskers5968]

Цены не приличные . Пример Осло - Рига (1.20 полёт) у лоукостеров 10-40 евро , у Балтика 180-210 . airBaltikc продаёт на 5% больше билетов на рейс . Просто кого то могут снять с рейса . Но экипажи профессиональные . Признаю .

[@amkgskjsi3840]

Not first

[@krebssfish9370]

What do you mean?

[@juriscervenaks8953]

@@krebssfish9370 If you mean Air Baltic wasn't the first company that flew this new plane, you are wrong. They televised, and spoke on radio for couple days about it in Latvia.

[@takaharatanaka8818]

Elimination of competition leads to shit product; which is what Boeing has become... 2nd rate garbage relied upon because no one can challenge their dominance... ...In the next decade, the same will apply to Airbus. Embraer while producing good aircraft simply isn't large enough to challenge the Airbus/.Boeing duopoly.

[@triple7marc]

Boeing makes shit products? Is that why tens of thousands of Boeings fly every day?

[@Fordprefect1000]

Their customer service is atrocious and the seats are like benches

[@JohnSmith-iw4qs]

That plane is too smart for its own good. Its a piece of crap airplane

[@Dave_Sisson]

Umm.... why ???

[@TakoDeer]

Looks like a Boeing fanboy

[@Dave_Sisson]

@@TakoDeer But it doesn't compete with any Boeing aircraft as they stopped building the B-717 ten years before the A-220 / CS-100 was in production. So the original poster may have another reason to slag off the A-220?

[@Chris58851]

@@Dave_Sisson just ignore him, anything that goes against Boeing is a trigger for his Boeing-Fan-Rage

[@thearsenalmisfit2414]

You've odviously never flown on one. It makes the B737Max look and feel like a dinosaur. It bears the Max with wider seats , quieter engines naking the interior more pleasant and the bigger windows give the cabin a much more open and airier feel. It's only draw back from an airlines point of view is that it doesn't share the same cockpit as the A32X, A33X, A34X, A35X or the A38X. It is a brand new design which Boeing seems not to fe able to do anymore . Yes they designed the B787 nightmare liner but that thing is a mess and every minth there us some problem that needs to be rectified. It's a shame Boeing use to be such a great company but niw its a mere shadow of itself where profits are more important than peopkes lives.

[@Imperial_stroopwafel]

Finnair next?