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Airbus Canada says it will supply AirAsia with a massive order of 150 of its Canadian-made A220 jets in a multibillion-dollar coup for Quebec’s aviation industry.
Airbus, which makes the narrow-body planes north of Montreal in Mirabel, says the agreement with the low-cost Malaysian airline marks the largest single firm order for A220s in the manufacturer’s history.
Lars Wagner, who heads the Airbus commercial aircraft division, says the deal underscores Quebec’s role as a key hub in global aviation.
Meanwhile, the presence of Prime Minister Mark Carney at the announcement Wednesday underscored the federal government’s push to diversify trade beyond the United States.
However, Airbus has faced production challenges at its Montreal-area plant, struggling to churn out more than seven jets per month on average — half of the threshold needed to break even.
Nonetheless, Western University professor Geraint Harvey says the announcement comes as “great news” for the federal government and for workers in Quebec.
