02:30 (07:30 UTC) - January 10, 2019 - Quebec, Canada - by Sylvain Faust for Fliegerfaust

Updated 14:48 (19:48 UTC) January 11, 2019 - Corrected the number of hours and added the number of landings done about the A220 aircraft currently doing its C-Check (see below)

Airbus in Mirabel – 300% Space Increase Being Planned

According to sources, Airbus is currently negotiating with ADM to increase by 300% the land it will occupy at Mirabel airport, and adding options, as well, for even more.

ADM is the administrator of both Mirabel (YMX) and Dorval (YUL) airports.

"In Canada, at the turn of the 1990s, the federal government opted for a unique model in which it retains ownership of the airport property. The management, operation and development of airports, including capital funding, are entrusted to local airport authorities created specifically for this purpose and whose primary mission is to provide airport services to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve."

For details on what is ADM, how it works, read "The Canadian model of airport governance".

Airbus is currently planning for a larger expansion in Quebec, going beyond what I already announced in November 2018 in this article: "Airbus Investing - Increasing A220 Production - Thank You Airbus!

Airbus is already a client of ADM at Mirabel with the acquisition of the Bombardier CSeries aircraft company (co-owned by Bombardier Inc. and the Quebec government) and consequently, its assembly and completion centre located at Mirabel Airport. Airbus later renamed the Bombardier CSeries aircraft as the Airbus A220, making it fit seamlessly among its other aircraft model designations.

I wrote on December 4, 2018 in "The Insider - What's Going To Happen at Bombardier - A Must Read..."

"And that is not the only thing Airbus found out after the acquisition of their new A220 Mirabel facility... What else then? Well, it is cheap to operate in Quebec, with such irresistible amenities at hand... salaries, qualified aerospace workers, cost of living and an airport featuring two (2) 12000 feet runway with plenty of space around it. And what have you. Then, for good measure, what about another A320 or A350 assembly facility in Mirabel Airport in Quebec, Canada? I won't go further on this for now."

Here are a few points worth mentioning.

Airbus really does not like the way the current A220 factory is "arranged". I've talked about this for years in different articles.

Added to this, it must also be remembered that Airbus has to cohabitate with the Bombardier CRJ aircraft production interlaced with the rest of the A220 production, all within the same site. This is definitely not how Airbus wishes this to be setup, while participating in the ownership of the CRJ, or not, in the future.

Could Airbus also be planning the possibility of adding the production of another aircraft in Mirabel? A new A350 assembly line? Still, --first things first--, fixing and duplicating the A220 production stands as the #1 priority to Airbus in Mirabel. Which certainly does not stop other groups at Airbus to think and plan ahead…

How then will Airbus address the A220 production for good, apart from a few little fixes I have already announced? Hence, do not be surprised when Airbus starts setting up a totally new A220 production line in Mirabel, -but this one truly "à la Airbus"- in a brand new building. What will Airbus do with the current A220 installation after a new one has been built near it, in Mirabel? Who would it be looking for space at Mirabel airport, closing its factory in Montreal (Ville St-Laurent) soon?

As you read "The Insider - What's Going To Happen at Bombardier - A Must Read..." and in the follow up article "Bombardier Going Private? Name of First Global 7500 Client and much more" Bombardier should currently be in the process of selling its Ville St-Laurent installation.

Regarding Bombardier Facility in Ville St-Laurent

Regarding St-Laurent, I'm told that the specialized firm involved with Bombardier in organizing the sale is an American commercial real estate services company. The company's headquarters are located in Chicago, with regional headquarters in New York City, London, Sydney, and Bengaluru. The name of the company seems to start with the letter "C".

Tidbits

• A220 First C-Check inspection is being performed. The aircraft of SWISS A220-100 MSN 50010 registered as HB-JBA as reached 5885 hours and 5485 landings and has now entered the major "C" Check inspection milestone. What is a A, B, C, 3C, D Check? Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_maintenance...

• Airbus is planning to increase the A220 delivery rate by 58% in 2019. In 2018 thirty-three (33) A220 aircraft were delivered. The number of A220 deliveries "currently" expected by Airbus in 2019 stands at 53 aircraft from its only A220 assembly production line which is located in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada.

• As I wrote on Fliegerfaust on December 4 Delta and Airbus were to announce the conversion of part of its A220-100 order into the longer A220-300 aircraft. Done! Airbus announced it yesterday and adding 15 more aircraft to the order.

• The first A220 to be delivered from Mobile Alabama will be one A220-300 (now you know!) for Delta and its manufacturer serial number (MSN) will be 55069.

• The first A220 to be assembled in Mobile Alabama (MSN 55069) will not be assembled in the upcoming new A220 assembly line/building to be announced by Airbus on January 16, 2019. But where? It will be built in the existing A320 assembly building.

• SWISS: Only two (2) more aircraft remain to be delivered, two A220-100: MSN 50018 and 50019. Will Lufthansa be ordering more? The delivery of the next SWISS A220-100 (CS100) aka MSN 55018, is expected within 8 to 10 weeks from now. As for the second one? Well, let's just wait and see until the first aircraft is delivered.

• Here are the list of clients to be receiving their first A220 aircraft in 2019:
  - Red Wings Airlines
  - EgyptAir; also
  - First business jet version of the A220 to Camber Aviation, and 50017 (remember what I wrote October 13, 2017)
  - Air Canada A220, if lucky, during December 2019

• Airbus has sent its first of the already announced three (3) A220 aircraft toward scrap yard. The aircraft A220-100 MSN 50007 has been towed yesterday, January 9, to route 300 at Mirabel airport to start its dismantlement (destruction) process. As previously announced, only on Fliegerfaust, Airbus has decided to dismantle three of the early production A220 aircraft, i.e. MSN 50007, 50008 and 50009. Read on Fliegerfaust on September 25, 2018: "A220 - Airbus Scrapping Three (3) Already Built Aircraft - Production Update"

• (Just to create another bullet point...) Airbus also sent its second A220 toward its destruction at the same location, the aircraft A220-100 MSN 50008. The destination, same as with MSN 50007, is what is called "Route 300" at Mirabel Airport near Avianor and Pratt & Whitney.

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