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the single-aisle offerings such as the The Airbus A220 is publicly part of the Airbus single-aisle family, “Our first priority is to focus on the
A320 and Boeing 737. Both Boeing presented at Toulouse for the the question arises: just how much ramp-up. We will need the most out
and Airbus have offered aircraft with first time. airbus commonality is there? of the production of Mirabel to cope
a size creeping down into the higher Dufrenois says the A220 will with the need we see in this market
end of the regional market. In Airbus’s be “fully integrated” into the A320 segment. That, we will tackle. But very
case its A319 is essentially the same family. “When you look at the cockpit importantly we will rapidly need the
size as the A220-300. Its unloved, of a C Series it almost looks like the most out of the second US assembly
even smaller A318 is about the same cockpit of an A320. It’s as if Rob that we are building because the US
size as the the A220-100 – when (Dewar) had the 320 in mind when he market is 40 per cent of the overall
a graph of the Airbus single-aisle designed the C Series. It will be fully 100-seater market and that will be
family was shown in Toulouse it did complementary to the 320 also for the served from 2020 onwards.”
not include the A318, which entered airlines which will have the flexibility Also on the agenda at some
service in July 2003 with Frontier to switch from one size to another stage will be introducing the Airbus
Airlines. while staying within the same family Airspace cabin design into the A220,
Relative to other Airbus A320 of aircraft.” though it says this is no big jump
family variants, the A318 has sold in However, he concedes that “at because the cabins already share many
only tiny numbers with total orders the beginning” there will be no common traits.
for 80 aircraft placed. The order book full commonality between the two There is no doubt the A220 is an
is currently empty, and there are no cockpits, no common type rating, excellent aircraft. Powered by Pratt
plans to develop an A318neo. though that is something which can be & Whitney’s PS1000G PurePower
But the A319 has been far more worked out in the future. geared turbofan (which is also offered
successful. As of February this year, “We will see how it goes. We are on Airbus’s A320neo family), it is
a total of 1,469 A319 aircraft had just nine days away from taking already showing its versatility. Swiss,
been delivered, of which 1,448 are control of the partnership so please for example, operates it into the
in service. How Airbus intends to bear with us a little bit.” challenging London City Airport (with
formulate its sales pitch to convince Dewar added: “First of all, there its short 1,500m runway and steep
customers to choose between the are already a lot of similarities in 5.5 degree approaches), while Latvia’s
A220-300 and the A319 was not the cockpits, side sticks and similar Air Baltic flies in sometimes extreme
explained. ‘Our first technologies. There is of course in the weather conditions. Maintenance is
Airbus may talk about full future some possibilities to migrate also proving to be extremely efficient.
integration but commonality is priority is to the cockpits but the first focus really Typically, an A check takes around
another issue. This has been a major is ramping up the program, building eight hours. These checks are being
philosophy of Airbus. It allows pilots focus on the sales and cutting our costs and then done on operating C Series aircraft in
to switch easily between different after we can look at opportunities in three hours.
single-aisle types and even into the ramp-up.’ development together with the Airbus The A220-100 has a range of
widebody A330 with short conversion family. That will not be done in one 2,950nm and the -300 3,200nm.
courses. So now that the A220 is ROB DEWAR shot. Designed and being certified for

50 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION