By James Careless | October 20, 2017 Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 57 seconds.
Airbus’ decision to take control of Bombardier’s C Series program will shake up the passenger jet market, according to Airbus CEO Dr. Thomas Enders–and that’s how the multinational aircraft manufacturer likes to do business.
“We’re throwing a big stone into the water,” said Enders to workers at Bombardier’s C Series assembly plant in Mirabel, Que., on Oct. 20, 2017. “It’s always better to shape the industry than to react to the moves of others.”
The Airbus CEO made his comments to a hangar full of pumped-up C Series workers, during an afternoon visit that also featured off-the-cuff speeches by Bombardier president and CEO Alain Bellemare; Quebec premier Philippe Couillard; U.K. secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark; and many others.
The enthusiasm of the speakers matched the obvious elation in the hangar, now that Airbus has assumed 50.01 per cent ownership of the C Series program and promised to help bring it to the world market.
Thomas Enders expanded on an assertion he made earlier that day to the Montreal Board of Trade that the Airbus/Bombardier partnership will sell thousands of CS100 and CS300 aircraft to the world. (Bombardier previously estimated the global market for C Series-sized aircraft to be around 6,000.)
“We have more than 50 per cent of the single aisle market, and I do not see any reason, dear friends, why in the future we should not be able to have at least 50 per cent of the C Series market; i.e., the 100 to 140-seater market,” declared Enders.
The Airbus CEO didn’t dwell on the 300 per cent U.S. import duty imposed on the C Series following Boeing’s allegations of unfair subsidization. Keeping the tone upbeat, the most Enders would say is that, “I have no doubt, once we get through the approval process this will be a great partnership, and we will sell and deliver many, many aircraft.”
It was left to the U.K.’s Greg Clark to talk tough about the U.S. import levy. (Bombardier’s plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland, makes wings for the C Series.)
“My government has been working very closely with the government of Canada, and will continue to do so, to reject the false charges and suits that have been brought against this very successful aircraft,” he said. “We will keep up the energy on that.”
Clark’s tone didn’t bring down the room’s mood one iota. In fact, such was the fervour on display that one might have thought the Montreal Canadiens had just won the Stanley Cup!
Summing up the feeling, Enders added: “I think the future is very bright. This is a great partnership.”
