Swiss begins retiring its A220-100 fleet after nearly a decade of service

Swiss is retiring the A220-100 from its fleet, according to the airline's operational history detailed by aviation trade coverage. The aircraft, originally developed by Bombardier as the CS100, entered commercial service in July 2016 on a route between Zurich and Paris. Swiss was the type's launch customer.

The airline had ordered 30 aircraft split between the CS100 and the larger CS300. It eventually settled on nine of the smaller model, seating around 125 passengers, and 21 of the larger variant, which carries about 145 passengers. Airbus took a majority stake in the program in 2018, after which the aircraft were rebranded as the A220-100 and A220-300. Their ICAO designators, BCS1 and BCS3, still reflect their Bombardier origins.

Nearly a decade after that first flight, Swiss is winding down operation of the smaller A220-100 variant. The available material did not specify the exact retirement timeline, replacement aircraft, or the fate of the remaining nine A220-100 airframes.

The move is a notable moment for a program that struggled commercially in its early years, when Bombardier had difficulty competing against entrenched offerings from Airbus and Boeing in the mid-size jet segment. Swiss's decision to scale back use of the smaller model comes as the A220 family has otherwise found wider adoption among carriers following Airbus's involvement.