Image: Air France

Air France has welcomed its 20th Airbus A220-300, the latest flagship of its medium-haul fleet. The aircraft is to be named ‘Grasse.’

By 2030, these aircraft will account for 70% of the Air France fleet – compared with 7% at present – thanks to an ambitious investment plan of one billion euros per year.

The aircraft will operate on the airline’s short- and medium-haul network. It will make its first commercial flight on 1 April to Geneva.

The aircraft’s front fuselage bears the name “Grasse”, paying tribute to the town in the Alpes-Maritimes region, famous all over the world for its perfume industry.

Since 2019, Air France has revived its tradition of naming its aircraft after French cities. This tradition celebrates the rich cultural and historical heritage of France’s regions, and promotes their reputation throughout the world.

Before Grasse, Air France named its previous Airbus A220s after Le Bourget, Collioure, Belle-Ile en Mer, Senlis and Arcachon.

By the end of 2025, 60 A220-300s will join the Air France medium-haul fleet. With up to 15 deliveries expected each year, this is the fastest fleet entry in the history of Air France.

Unparalleled economic and environmental performance

The most innovative and efficient single-aisle aircraft in its class, the Airbus A220-300 is perfectly suited to Air France’s short and medium-haul network. It provides a cost reduction per seat of up to 10% compared to the Airbus A318 and A319 and stands out for its energy efficiency, consuming 20% less fuel than the aircraft it replaces and its CO2 emissions are also reduced by 20%. Its noise footprint is also 34% lower.

Air France aims to reduce its CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometre by 30% by 2030, compared with 2019, excluding any offsetting measures. To reach these targets, Air France is doing all it can in terms of fleet renewal, the use of sustainable aviation fuel, eco-piloting and intermodality.

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