The narrowbody features the airline’s new scheme along with a special detail

Air France’s maiden Airbus A220 left the paint shop today sporting the flag carrier’s livery.

The jet, which is a -300 variant, is due for delivery at the end of September and is the first of 60 examples due for the operator.

Painted in the carrier’s blue, white and red scheme, it notably features the winged seahorse, the airline’s historical symbol, at the front of the fuselage.

Intended to replace the firm’s A318s and A319s on its short and medium-haul network, the former Bombardier-built narrowbody uses 20% less fuel and has a 34% reduced noise footprint compared to its predecessors, according to Air France.

Ahead of the type’s arrival, the company has been conducting training including for both pilots and cabin crew, some of which started last summer. Close to 700 flight crew and 2,500 cabin crew will eventually be qualified on the aircraft.

Configured in a 3-2 layout, Air France’s A220s will have a capacity for 148 passengers. Each seat is set to be equipped with type A and C USB ports. The aircraft will also be equipped with inflight Wi-Fi.