Airbus is bringing its Airspace cabin features to the A220 aircraft family, and Air Canada will be the very first airline to introduce this enhanced experience to passengers. This collaboration means future deliveries of the A220 to Air Canada, starting in early 2026, will include the full Airspace suite, notably featuring the new Airspace XL bins. The partnership between Airbus and Air Canada brings the A220 Airspace cabin, along with its improved XL bins, into service, promising upgrades for travelers flying with Canada’s flag carrier.
The A220 aircraft already offers appealing features like the widest seats, aisle, and largest cabin and windows in its class. The new A220 Airspace cabin builds upon this foundation, integrating new elements to create a leading passenger environment. A key component of this upgrade is the introduction of the new XL bins.
Passengers flying on Air Canada’s upcoming A220s equipped with the Airspace cabin will notice several improvements designed for their comfort and convenience. The most visible change will be the Airspace XL bins. These redesigned overhead compartments offer a 20 percent increase in volume compared to previous designs. This extra space translates to about 15 percent more bag capacity on the A220-300 model, allowing for up to 19 additional standard passenger bags. The four-frame design also accommodates longer and heavier items.
Complementing the larger bins is an improved Passenger Service Unit (PSU), developed in line with the overall Airspace design principles. Furthermore, the cabin features new Airspace lighting options. An optional third LED lightstrip under the new bins can be added, contributing to a pleasant cabin ambiance. These elements combine to ease the boarding process and provide a relaxed beginning to the journey.
John Moody, Managing Director, Onboard Product, at Air Canada, expressed enthusiasm for the upgrade. He said: “The A220 has already become a favourite among our customers, and we’re thrilled to be the launch customer for the next cabin evolution of this Canadian-designed and assembled aircraft. At Air Canada, we’re always looking for opportunities to evolve our products and make travel more comfortable and convenient. The introduction of larger overhead bins on future A220s means more space for your belongings, quicker boarding, and an even better experience on board.” This highlights Air Canada’s focus on improving the travel experience with the A220 Airspace cabin and XL bins.
Operational Gains with New Cabin Design
The A220 Airspace cabin enhancements extend beyond passenger comfort, offering advantages for airline operations and crew members as well. The new Airspace XL bins are not only larger but also 10 percent lighter than their predecessors. Their design simplifies handling for the crew, enabling faster turnarounds between flights. The fixed nature of the new bins improves the crew experience significantly, as it avoids the need to lift heavy pivoting bins while arranging luggage.
This simpler and lighter design also contributes to increased reliability and reduced maintenance tasks due to simplified movable mechanisms within the XL bins. The weight reduction is notable; the new cabin structure shaves off approximately 300 lbs (around 136 kg) compared to the previous setup. This weight saving directly improves the airline’s operational efficiency and potential for revenue generation through better fuel economy or payload capacity. Air Canada stands to benefit from these operational improvements brought by the A220 Airspace cabin featuring the XL bins.
Rollout Plan and Fleet Integration
Airbus first announced the new Airspace cabin for the A220 back in 2023. The integration into newly built aircraft, known as line-fit, should begin later in 2025. Air Canada, as the launch customer, expects to receive its first A220-300 equipped with the new Airspace cabin and XL bins by early 2026. Following this introduction by Air Canada, these XL bins will become the standard offering on new A220s later in 2026. For airlines already operating the A220, Airbus plans to make retrofitting options available in the coming years, allowing existing fleets to benefit from the A220 Airspace cabin upgrades, including the XL bins.
Air Canada has shown strong confidence in the A220 platform. Including its most recent reorder, the airline has a total of 65 firm orders for the A220-300 variant. The introduction of the A220 Airspace cabin aligns with Air Canada’s fleet renewal program.
Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President Cabin Marketing at Airbus, shared his perspective: “We are extremely happy to launch the A220 Airspace cabin with Air Canada and very proud the Canadian flag carrier is introducing our latest innovation to support its fleet renewal programme. Through the introduction of the A220 Airspace cabin, we now enable a fully consistent passenger experience on all our platforms providing widebody comfort on single aisle aircraft.”
Further recognition for the design has come from the Crystal Cabin Award, the world’s most prestigious honor for aircraft interior innovation. The Airbus A220 Airspace cabin was recently announced as a finalist in the passenger comfort category, which focuses on creating a relaxed and enjoyable passenger experience. The winners of these awards will be announced on April 8, 2025, during the Crystal Cabin Award Gala.
