Window of opportunities for Airbus A220

Because of problems with Boeing 737MAX opens some kind of “window of opportunities” for A220 (former Bombardier C Series). Even despite the fact that in passenger capacity the first family is a little bigger than the second one. Airbus company believes that A220 may become quite good solution to satisfy needs of some airline companies. In one word, A220 is quite strong offer for many air carriers.

By partnership with Bombardier and Quebec government Airbus strives to make offer for A220 more attractive for the market. But it leads to extension of the field for competition and furthers mass introduction of advanced aviation equipment. Among other things growth of A220 production will help solving the problem of Boeing suppliers that don’t know how to survive while fresh-assembled 737MAX stand idle on the land.

In the summer of 2018 Airbus became the main owner of C Series program having paid to Bombardier the specified amount – about 600 million USD. But recently new ownership structure of the program was agreed with Quebec government, – Canada province where the main manufacturing area is located. According to this structure number of owners is reduced to two. It happened after Bombardier company on February 12th transmitted remaining stocks to European manufacturer increasing Airbus share in the project up to 75%. In the meantime, one more ordering customer – Green Africa Airways – placed order for 50 units of A220-300. Earlier this airline company built its’ own development strategy with a view to 737MAX but delays with Boeing airplanes made to change the accent to other airplanes.

As to January 2020 in operation in 7 airline companies were 107 airplanes of this family. Last year 48 airplanes have been delivered and 63 new orders received. But from summer 2018 when Airbus entered the project they received more than 200 orders. Totally Airbus A220 was sold in quantity of more than 650 units, however real status of many agreements of the beginning of the century is “questionable”.

In the meanwhile, earlier born losses for airplane creation and its’ launch into production haven’t paid for as of yet. According to Airbus expectations this will happen in the middle of the current decade. Today assembling of A220 is made on two areas – the main in Canadian Mirabel and additional in Mobil, USA. Correspondingly, they are meant for production of ten and four units per month, together – approximately 170 airplanes annually.