Airbus has flown its first A220 destined for Delta Airlines and deliveries are expected to follow shortly. The A220, formerly the Bombardier CSeries, is one of 75 ordered by Delta at a bargain price that ignited a trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada. It flew on Saturday from the factory at Mirabel Airport near Montreal according fliegerfaust.com.
The plane came out of the paint shop in mid September in standard Delta livery and will replace Delta’s historic fleet of DC-9 airliners on high frequency, short-range routes. Delta’s purchase sparked a successful complaint by Boeing to the U.S. Commerce Department claiming the aircraft were “dumped” on the U.S. market. The U.S. International Trade Commission turned over the decision (and its 300 percent duties) but not before Airbus had taken over the project to circumvent the dumping claim. Airbus has a plant in Mobile, Alabama and aircraft built there would not be subject to any trade action.