Airbus to Hire 800 Staff to Boost A220 Production

DALLAS — The European manufacturer Airbus announced today that it aims to recruit 800 workers in Canada this year. The recruitment drive came amid an acceleration in producing its narrowbody Airbus A220 airliner and other projects.

A220 Family jetliners destined for worldwide customers are produced at the final assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec. To support and speed up its production, OEM will recruit various candidates for multiple positions.

In a statement, Airbus said, “Two-thirds of the workforce will be in support roles, while one-third will be in production."

The Airbus factory in Mobile, Alabama. Photo: Airbus

Airbus Hiring Drive

Benoît Schultz, the CEO and president of the Airbus Canada division, said, "The organization is aiming to assign one-third of our positions to young graduates and early-career professionals and maintain our goal to have 33% of new hires and promotions allocated to women."

"These new hires will be essential to maintaining [our] position as a leading player in the Canadian aerospace sector, ensuring the full potential of the A220 and supporting the decarbonization of air transport."

Airbus currently manufactures the A220 at two establishments in North America. The first is in Mirabel, the main A220 facility, and the second is in Mobile, Alabama. There are nearly 3,000 personnel working at the A220 program headquarters in Mirabel and more than 4,000 individuals who work at the ten facilities and offices of Airbus and its subsidiaries in Canada.

N119DU - Delta Airlines Airbus A220-100. Photo: Francesco Checcetti/Airways

A220 Orders and Deliveries

As of January 2023, the company has received 785 orders for A220s. Out of this, they have delivered 248 aircraft to dozens of operators. The completed deliveries are approximately 30% of total orders.

Delta Air Lines (DL) is the largest operator of A220s, with around 59 airliners. At the same time, Air Canada (AC), airBaltic (BT), and Swiss International are among the top operators of A220s.

The European manufacturer has forecasted a need for 7,000 aircraft with a seating capacity for 100-150 passengers in the coming two decades. The A220s is one such aircraft that is included in this category. The two variants are the A220-100 which has 100-120 seats, and A220-200, which comprises 120-150 seats in standard configuration.

Featured Image: AC already operates over 30 Airbus A220s. Photo: Liam Funnell/ Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/air-canada-adds-a220-aircraft/