Shadi Saadeh, Vice President of Airbus Corporate Jets, said that with the legacy of a commercial airliner, the ACJ TwoTwenty has some clear advantages over “conventional business jets.” According to him, the six-zone cabin is two to three times larger than that of other ultra-long-haul aircraft at the same cost of acquisition. “Customers who had a traditional ultra-long-haul aircraft said, ‘If I can get the same for the same price but two to three times as much cabin, with a decent bedroom and dining table, then that’s the case when the benefits are there.’”
Although the ACJ TwoTwenty burns more fuel, "it's cheaper to operate," he said, as its maintenance costs are lower. There are so many A220s in operation that parts are cheaper, and maintenance and training are widely available anywhere in the world at reasonable prices. The ACJ TwoTwenty Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines are designed to be rarely, if ever, removed for maintenance. “Operators will probably never have to take off the engine,” Saade explains, given the lower flight hours that business jets typically have. The ACJ TwoTwenty maintenance program also contributes to lower operating costs.
In early January, Comlux, the launch customer of Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty business jets, received its first aircraft in the so-called “green version”. The airliner went to the company’s customization center in Indianapolis, and work is already underway on installing the interior and additional equipment.
According to Airbus, the ACJ TwoTwenty is identical to competing models and can be operated at the same airports, but its cabin is three times more spacious and operating costs are three times lower. In addition, the A220 family aircraft are the quietest and most economical in their category: their sound footprint area is 50% smaller, and fuel consumption is 25% lower than that of the previous generation.
ACJ TwoTwenty is designed from a “clean slate”, which allowed to apply the most advanced technologies and materials. The cabin of the aircraft is equipped with the latest generation communication system, wireless Internet access, lighting system based on LED technology and windows with automatic dimming function. The range of ACJ TwoTwenty will be about 10,500 km (more than 12 hours of flight), which will allow you to perform non-stop flights from Moscow to Los Angeles, Miami, Tokyo or Singapore.
The cabin of the ACJ TwoTwenty aircraft with an area of 73m2 will be divided into several functional zones, which will allow passengers to spend time in flight with maximum benefit or just relax. The cabin will be able to comfortably accommodate 18 passengers, each of whom will be provided with additional individual space and comfort.
