Coming Soon to PIT: JetBlue’s A220 from Boston

Heading to Boston soon? Your flight will likely be on a brand-new aircraft.

This fall JetBlue will upgrade its service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport to its Airbus A220-300, the airline’s newest passenger jet.

JetBlue will operate its A220 on three of four daily flights scheduled between Pittsburgh and Boston beginning Oct. 30.

It will be the first time any airline has offered regular A220 service at PIT. The A220 will introduce JetBlue’s latest onboard product and modern amenities to passengers on the Pittsburgh-Boston route.

JetBlue’s A220s are configured with 140 total seats in an all-economy class layout, including 25 of the airline’s “Even More Space” seats that come with extra legroom.

The A220 seats 40 percent more passengers than the Embraer E190 that JetBlue currently operates on the route. This will bring additional capacity to Boston service—a key nonstop market from PIT—as travel demand continues to rise back to pre-pandemic numbers.

“October marks an exciting milestone with JetBlue bringing the first scheduled Airbus A220 service to Pittsburgh International Airport with several flights to Boston,” said Bryan Dietz, Senior Vice President of Air Service and Commercial Development.

“We’re thrilled to see JetBlue bring this exciting aircraft to our market and add capacity in the popular Boston market. These aircraft and the increase in capacity to Boston shows that business and leisure demand is continuing to increase from Pittsburgh.”

By late October, both JetBlue and Delta Air Lines will operate nearly 22,000 total monthly seats nonstop between PIT and Boston, an approximately 80 percent increase year-over-year.

Quiet, comfortable ride

Passengers will immediately notice the A220’s modern interior with the latest technology in aircraft design.

The A220’s cabin features larger windows, more overhead bin space for luggage and a significantly quieter cabin. Seating is arranged in a unique 2-3 configuration—popular among couples and families—with extra legroom and the widest seats of any narrowbody passenger aircraft.

Nathan Pollock, an aviation enthusiast from Groton, Conn., flew on JetBlue’s A220 between Boston and San Antonio in February 2022.

His biggest takeaway? The comfort provided by the larger cabin.

“I had never flown on an A220 before and wanted to try out a new aircraft for my next trip,” he said. “It definitely felt bigger than the E190s they are replacing. Since it was a new plane, everything was still clean, and it had the new plane charm.”

JetBlue’s A220 will also include its latest in-flight entertainment system. Passengers will be treated to larger, higher-definition seatback entertainment touchscreens featuring a wide selection of free movies, live television channels and a moving map display.

Additionally, all seats come with USB-C, USB-A and AC power outlets for passengers to charge personal devices.

Like all JetBlue aircraft, the A220 features the airline’s free “Fly-Fi” high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity service. JetBlue is currently the sole U.S. airline that offers free Wi-Fi to passengers.

“The in-flight entertainment system was great,” said Pollock. “It offers you a cool screen-in-screen option so you can look at two things at once. You can watch a movie and have the moving map displayed at the same time.

“I drove almost two hours out of my way just to fly on the A220. So, if I had the chance to fly on it again, I definitely would.”

JetBlue has identified the A220 as key to modernizing its fleet. Powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines, the A220 offers longer range, a 25 percent increase in fuel savings and a 50 percent reduction in noise.

JetBlue ordered 60 A220-300s plus 60 options from Airbus in 2018 and placed another order for 30 more earlier this year. The aircraft will replace the carrier’s E190s, which are scheduled to retire in 2026.

JetBlue took delivery of its first A220 in December 2020 and currently has 12 in service. JetBlue’s A220s are assembled at Airbus’ North American production facility in Mobile, Ala.