Air Canada nears deal to add more A220 planes to Airbus order

Air Canada is closing in on a deal to expand a plane order from Airbus, according to people familiar with the matter, as the carrier looks to enlarge its fleet amid the post-Covid rebound in air travel. The carrier is set to make an announcement as soon as Wednesday, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are confidential. The deal will be for 15 A220-300 jets, according to one of the people. Representatives for Air Canada didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A representative for Airbus in Asia said the company “doesn’t comment on discussions we may or may not be having with airlines.” The order would be on top of an existing deal for 45 A220s, bringing the tally to 60, the person said. Air Canada has already received 31 of those planes, according to Airbus orders and deliveries data for September. The market value of the 15 additional planes was about $528m in 2021, based on prices provided by aircraft appraiser Avitas Inc. The A220 is a Canadian aircraft, designed and launched by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. before being sold to its European rival. When Air Canada placed its order for the model in 2016 it also secured purchase options for a further 30 jets, according to a statement at the time. The airline last month said it will purchase 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft to offer zero-emission flights to customers in Canada as soon as 2028. The planes, which are being developed by Sweden-based Heart Aerospace AB, are “much more cost efficient” and could help the airline expand in regional markets, CEO Michael Rousseau said at the time.<br/>