Clear Skies for the A220
Yesterday, the President of Airbus Canada, Mr. Benoît Schultz, was the speaker of the Council of International Relations of Montreal (CORIM). In front of the assembly, Mr. Schultz renewed Airbus’s commitment to the decarbonization of air transport. After his speech, he also indulged in a question and answer session with members of the media in attendance. This is therefore an opportunity to provide an update on the A220 program.
The Production
In the coming years, the profitability of the A220 program will mainly depend on the production ramp-up. Its output will therefore rise from 5 aircraft per month to 14 in 2025 and its supply chain will be under heavy strain. Globally, the aviation supply chain is experiencing some logistical hiccups. But Mr. Schultz mentioned that Airbus was able to derisk the next ramp ups. The increases planned for 2006 should therefore go smoothly.
Airbus still plans to hire 500 more people in the next few years. Currently she has 90 non-union poster positions. In addition, nearly 200 union members remain on the recall list. The ramp-up of 2022 should therefore make it possible to recall those laid off. The hires in 2022 will therefore be on the side of the non-unionized.
The Sales
Mr. Schultz is pleased with the new orders announced at the Dubai Airshow. Airlines’ appetite for new aircraft has returned and the number of acquisition campaigns is on the rise. He points out that at the moment 90% of the fleet is made up of previous generation aircraft. There is therefore a strong potential for orders by the time zero-emission aircraft are developed.
Certification of the A220 continues in China and could be achieved in 2022. This would add Chinese companies to its customer list. Finally, the high-density version of the A220-300 has still not found a buyer. This version has a capacity of 160 passengers in a single class. Mr. Schultz believes this version has potential.
As shown in the header photo. The first ACJ TwoTwenty came out of the paint shop. Over the next few weeks, it will perform its compliance flights before heading to the Comlux facilities. This is where it will receive its interior. Dubai’s company Five Holdings will be the first customer for this version. Delivery is scheduled for early 2023.
With the end of the pandemic, the sky is clearing up for the A220.
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