NEW YORK – Yesterday,
Airways was given an exclusive tour of the brand new jetBlue (B6) Airbus A220-300 (N3008J) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). In true COVID-19 fashion, the tour was held with social distancing and mask-wearing strongly in mind.
The aircraft, named ‘Hops’, took off on its maiden flight in early December of 2020, flying around the Airbus factory in Mobile, Alabama before being delivered to B6. On New Year’s Eve, the New York-based carrier took delivery of its first of 70 Airbus A220-300s on order to replace its aging Embraer E190 fleet.
Along with the brand new aircraft, B6 featured a new tail design on the Airbus A220. The ‘Hops’ tail livery is the newest iteration of the ever-evolving tail designs of the airline’s aircraft. The new design extends to the wingtips, creating a stunning livery.
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If there is an aviation wunderkind to come out of the coronavirus pandemic, it just might be the Airbus A220.
The small narrowbody jet has proven popular among airlines even as thousands of aircraft were parked amid the historic drop in air travel during the crisis. The A220s size, seating between 100- and 150-passengers, and low costs have proven a sought after elixir to industry executives looking for the lowest cost way to keep flying when every penny matters.