The wait is almost over. Synaptic Simulations has confirmed that its A220 will arrive on the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace next week, bringing the long-awaited airliner project to the edge of release. The announcement does not reveal an exact launch day or price, but it is the clearest confirmation yet that the aircraft is now ready to leave development behind.
The news was shared alongside a new “Welcome To the Synaptic A220” video from iniBuilds. Running for more than 46 minutes, the presentation is far more than a conventional trailer. It combines a short history of the real-world aircraft with a detailed exterior tour, cockpit setup, systems demonstration and a complete circuit flight.
From the C Series to the A220
The video begins by tracing the aircraft’s origins back to Bombardier’s early studies, before moving through the launch of the C Series programme and Airbus’ later involvement. That background helps explain why the A220 feels different from the manufacturer’s more familiar narrow-body aircraft. It carries the Airbus name, but its systems philosophy, avionics and cockpit workflow retain a distinct identity.
iniBuilds then moves outside the aircraft for a close look at the model. The walkaround highlights the nose profile, landing gear, wing design and Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Fine exterior details, opening engine cowlings and the aircraft’s distinctive proportions are all shown at close range before the focus shifts to the flight deck.
A Detailed Look at the Flight Deck
Synaptic demonstrates the aircraft from a cold-and-dark state, beginning with electrical power and display initialisation. The walkthrough explains the electronic checklist system, including automatically sensed items and airline-specific procedures, before moving into flight planning.
The A220 features SimBrief integration through both the EFB and FMS. A prepared route can be imported, transferred into the active flight plan and edited directly through the cockpit displays. The video also shows departure and arrival selection, performance entry, fuel and weight data, and the aircraft’s vertical navigation calculations.
One of the most notable sections covers graphical flight planning. Pilots can create holds, change their direction and timing, modify waypoint constraints and watch the vertical path update on the display. The presentation also explores the aircraft’s speed-trim logic, managed climb and descent modes, and the way its flight-control system behaves during manual flying.
From Pushback to Landing
The demonstration continues through pushback, engine start, taxi and takeoff. Synaptic highlights the PW1500G start sequence, the A220’s recognisable engine howl and its takeoff-mode logic. The aircraft is then flown through a short circuit before completing an RNP approach and landing.
The final part of the video concentrates on the EFB. Its features include SimBrief flight data, ground-service controls, loading tools, takeoff and landing performance calculations, chart integration and aircraft configuration settings. The terrain radar is also demonstrated, although it requires a separate external application to run alongside the simulator.
With the release now confirmed for next week, the remaining questions are the exact launch day and price. iniBuilds has also promised further tutorials, setup guides and demonstration videos, suggesting that the rollout will continue in the days leading up to release. After years of anticipation, the Synaptic A220 is finally on short final.
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