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In a teaser to media, Airbus plans to announce an order for approximately 150 A220 aircraft from AirAsia, reflecting a resurgence in demand for smaller aircraft and strengthening Airbus's position in competition with Brazil's Embraer.
The potential deal was posted by FL360aero in its 25 January 2026 article, and the latest development could impact the global aviation industry and reflects growing demand trends in the Asian market.
For the ceremony, Airbus has invited media representatives to a press conference to be held at the main A220 Airbus site in Mirabel on 6 May, as part of a historic announcement regarding the A220 Programme. Several dignitaries and Airbus executives, as well as a customer, will be present for the occasion.
AirAsia co-founder Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is believed to have traveled to Canada to formalise the landmark aircraft order with Airbus as the budget carrier moves closer to buy up to 150 A220 aircraft.
Fernandes, who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Capital A Bhd, may sign the purchase agreement with Airbus in Canada where the A220 programme is headquartered.
Sources familiar with the matter said the trip signals that negotiations, which have been ongoing for over a year, are now at its final stage.
As mentioned earlier, talks surrounding the regional jet order have been reported since 2025 that AirAsia was close to finalising a deal for more than 100 aircraft, for the 100-150-seat segment.
At the time, the airline was weighing offers from Airbus' A220, the Embraer E2 series by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer and China's COMAC C919.
What: Major announcement for Airbus and the A220 programme
When: Wednesday 6 May, 2026, Press conference begins at 3:00 p.m., ends around 4:00pm Montreal time (E.D.T)
Where : New A220 Delivery Center, 13100 Henri-Fabre Blvd., Mirabel, QC J7N 3C6
Who:
Industry observers said while the A220 now appears to have emerged as the frontrunner, the news has been followed closely particularly as Embraer has been actively attempting to break into the Malaysian market.
Embraer Commercial Aviation senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific Raul Villaron told Business Times earlier this year that the company had been engaging with Malaysian-based airlines for its smaller narrowbody E190-E2 and E195-E2 jets.
The potential order marks a significant milestone for AirAsia, which has long evaluated options to introduce a smaller narrowbody aircraft to complement its all-Airbus family fleet.
A deal of this magnitude over multiple years would definitely strengthen the Airbus A220 order list, support pricing discipline, and potentially improve profit margins as production volumes increase for the segement.
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