Airbus Canada (ABK, Montréal Mirabel) and Pratt & Whitney say technical issues that have plagued the A220 programme have largely been resolved and they expect no A220 aircraft to remain grounded due to geared turbofan (GTF) engine problems by the end of 2026, according to Leeham News and Analysis.
Reporting from a recent media briefing at Airbus Canada's production facility at Montréal Mirabel, Leeham said it was told that only 2% to 3% of grounded A220s are now out of service because of GTF engine issues that have affected both the A220 and the A320neo family.
Guillaume Chevasson, head of the A220 programme and chief executive of Airbus Canada, said the programme's supply chain, which has faced global disruptions in recent years, is showing clear signs of stabilising.
"The AOG [aircraft on ground] crisis is over," he said, adding that technical issues affecting the fleet are now "close to zero," according to a video of the briefing shared online.
Chevasson said Airbus' relationship with Pratt & Whitney had reached a "very good level," with the GTF engine now "delivering where it should be" and performing close to the benchmark set by the A320 family.
He said the engine had reached a level of maturity suitable for demanding, high-cycle operations such as short-haul flying. Reliability is "improving significantly" following a series of design modifications incorporated into the latest engine standard, he added.
Chevasson also credited the integration of the Belfast wing production facility, formerly owned by Spirit AeroSystems, with improving programme stability. He said that bringing the facility in-house had given Airbus a "great level of stability" and deeper control over its industrial system.
Separately, Chevasson revealed that Airbus had accelerated studies on a stretched A220 variant, widely known as the A220-500. Although no launch decision had been made, he said Airbus was working closely with customers to seek a "simple" and "low-risk" solution that could bring the larger variant to market quickly.
