Each Airbus A220 is made up of parts sourced from around 60 Canadian suppliers, including 40 in Quebec. PHOTO courtesy Airbus.
Airbus will soon be marking its 5th anniversary in Quebec and the job shops supplying the company have good reason to celebrate.
Since its establishment in Quebec on July 1st, 2018, Airbus says it has built its strongest presence outside Europe, with more than 4,000 employees, generating approximately 23,000 indirect jobs in Canada. In five years, Airbus has contributed investments of nearly C$1.8 billion and is experiencing remarkable growth in its Canadian activities in various sectors, including commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space.
“The integration of the A220 programme in 2018 marked a major milestone for Airbus. To date, the more than 260 A220s in service have flown more than a billion kilometres, and that’s just the beginning,” says Benoît Schultz, CEO of Airbus Canada.
Airbus’ economic impact in Canada is also reflected in the value of its sourcing from over 700 local companies. Each A220 is made up of parts sourced from around 60 Canadian suppliers, including 40 in Quebec. In five years, some C$10 billion has been spent with local suppliers.
Airbus Canada has created more than 1,000 direct jobs in Quebec over the past five years. After recruiting more than 700 new people at its facilities in Canada in 2022, Airbus has announced the need to fill 800 positions across the country in 2023.
Since July 1st, 2018, Airbus has delivered around 185 aircraft from Mirabel, over 80% of which have been exported outside Canada, making a significant contribution to Canadian exports. When full production capacity is reached around the middle of the decade, it is estimated that more than 100 aircraft per year will be exported, increasing Airbus’ already significant contribution to Canada’s balance sheet.
The A220 cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat by 25% compared with previous-generation aircraft, and NOx emissions by 50% compared with industry standards, making it an ideal replacement for older, more fuel-consuming fleets, the company says. To date, the teams have delivered 265 aircraft to more than 16 operators, and have accumulated nearly 800 orders for this program from customers all over the world.
By the middle of the decade, the organization plans to ramp up the A220 production rate to 14 aircraft per month. The addition of a 125,000 sq. ft. pre-assembly area in Mirabel last year, and the inauguration of a new A220 assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, in 2020, support this acceleration of production rates.
