Air Canada announced on February 24, 2020 that they have signed letters of intent with AAR Aircraft in Trois Riviéres and Avianor in Mirabel for long-term airframe maintenance agreements, subject to their completed merger with Air Transat.
Last Monday (February 24th), Air Canada announced that they have signed letters of intent (LOIs) with both AAR Aircraft Services Trois Riviéres ULC (AAR) and Avianor Inc. (Avianor) of Mirabel for long-term airframe maintenance. The agreements are subject to the closing of Air Canada’s acquisition of Transat, A.T. (Air Transat). Upon closing, the new long-term agreements will enable the establishment of “Airframe Maintenance Centres of Excellence” in Quebec, stimulating the aerospace industry and creating high-quality MRO jobs.
With the Air Transat merger, Air Canada’s larger combined fleet of Airbus A330s will allow the carrier to move maintenance work on the aircraft type from overseas to AAR in Trois Riviéres. Additionally, AAR will maintain and expand their airframe maintenance capabilities for Airbus A320 Family aircraft, including the all-new A321neos. Similarly, Avianor will establish a new “Centre of Excellence” for maintenance on Air Canada’s new Airbus A220s in Mirabel, adjacent to the Airbus manufacturing facilities. In the February 24th announcement, Air Canada’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Richard Steer said,
“From our very first project in Trois Riviéres, we’ve seen a strong commitment to quality, safety and operational performance. With our largest hub a short distance away, we’re excited to have a trusted partner like AAR with a similar commitment to excellence, and also proud to be increasing heavy maintenance work in Quebec, especially on wide-body aircraft. This contract for additional work in Trois Riviéres represents a long-term investment in increased airframe maintenance in Quebec.
Also commenting on the agreement, AAR Corp’s Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Jessup added,
“We are honoured to work closely with a highly regarded carrier like Air Canada for so many years and to be chosen as their maintenance provider for the A330 and A320 family fleet types. AAR is proud to support the Canadian economy and to grow our overall footprint in Trois Riviéres, especially for the A330.”
Air Canada’s letter of intent with Avianor of Mirabel will provide a ten year agreement for airframe maintenance on Air Canada’s new fleet of Airbus A220s, subject to the completed merger with Air Transat. Air Canada has a firm order for 45 A220s as well as an option for up to 30 additional aircraft. Further commenting on the Avianor agreement, Air Canada’s Mr. Steer added,
“We have been very pleased with the work performed in Quebec by Avianor on Air Canada’s fleet over the last years. This contract assures Air Canada of a quality solution for our Airbus A220 heavy maintenance needs in Quebec through Avianor’s extensive and proven capabilities in the field.”
Further commenting on the Air Canada contract, the President & CEO of Aerospace and Ground Transportation of DRAKKAR (Avianor’s parent company), Benoit Hudson said,
“This extended relationship with Air Canada shows the scale and technical support that Avianor offers in this competitive marketplace. To build great projects we always need to be surrounded by key players such as Air Canada and it goes without saying that we are extremely proud of today’s strategic announcement. We are thrilled to be working with Air Canada, in support of their expanded fleet and are grateful for their confidence. With years in the industry, we are confident in our ability to provide world-class quality, genuine partnerships and proven customer support while allowing ourselves to envision an enviable Centre of Excellence which could eventually regroup a variety of services such as maintenance, engineering, certification, education and training capabilities under one roof.”
Air Canada serves nearly 220 airports on six continents and is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline. The airline serves 62 airports in Canada, 53 in the U.S. and 101 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central & South America. Air Canada serves over 51 million customers annually and in 2019 was named ‘Best Airline in North America’ by Skytrax. The carrier is also a member of the Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive network, serving over 1,250 airports in 195 countries.
Source: Air Canada