Airbus Canada Sees ‘No Strong Red Flags’ For A220 Production Hike

LE BOURGET—Airbus Canada has not identified “very strong red flags” as it continues a planned steep production ramp-up in the A220 program, according to Airbus Canada CEO Benoit Schultz. 

“The situation is dynamic,” he told ShowNews at the Paris Air Show June 21. His assessment is a “snapshot” that Airbus is “taking at high frequency.”

Airbus delivered 19 A220-300s in the first five months of 2023. That compares to 47 A220-300s and six -100s for full-year 2022. Deliveries for the first five months of 2023 are equivalent to a rate of less than four aircraft per month. Airbus plans to increase output to 14 aircraft per month from a nominal six aircraft monthly, a level of production it has not reached yet this year. Schultz nonetheless claims that the first half of the year was “much better” and the final assembly line (FAL) had a “strong start of the year.”

Schultz added that there was a “minimum level of outstanding work” and aerostructures deliveries to the FAL are now stable, though “there is some level of tension on the engine side.” Schultz was referring to Pratt & Whitney engine delivery delays and PW1500G durability issues that have been impacting the in-service fleet. Engines are “not a production tracer today,” he said.

In his view, the short-term relief for airlines is in added MRO capacity to shorten the time needed for repairs. Upgrades planned to the engine will also “improve time on wing,” Schultz said.

Schultz said adding another engine type to the program was a “substantial undertaking” for which “you need a trigger.” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told Aviation Week in a recent interview that he would welcome adding a second engine manufacturer to the program if and when Airbus decided to stretch the aircraft. Schultz did not say when Airbus was ready to launch a stretch.

According to industry sources, work on defining a larger version of the A220 is still ongoing. Keeping range similar to that of the current A220-300 would require substantial engineering work plus a more powerful engine. In addition to the current Pratt offering, GE Aerospace has indicated interest in joining the program.