By Dayna Fedy-MacDonald | October 17, 2023 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 13 seconds.
Avianor has officially begun construction of its future A220 Centre of Excellence at the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport (YMX).
The company, a subsidiary of DRAKKAR Aerospace and Ground Transportation, held a groundbreaking event on Oct. 10 to mark the official launch of construction activities, attended by representatives from Ville de Mirabel, DRAKKAR, Air Canada, Groupe MACH, Aéroports de Montréal, Aéro Montréal, and Syscomax.
Avianor first announced its decision to build an Airbus A220 heavy maintenance facility in June, following a 10-year deal with Air Canada to service the airline’s fleet of 33 A220s. The company hopes to attract additional customers in the future, such as Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 operators. However, priority will ultimately be given to the A220.
The Centre of Excellence, set to be operational by the fall of 2024, is a collaborative effort between Avianor and its real estate partner, Groupe MACH. The facility is expected to cost roughly $70 million, and Avianor will receive a $9 million forgivable loan from the Quebec government.
“This ground-breaking is another important milestone in a project that will have payoffs at every level — locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Benoit Hudon, president and CEO of DRAKKAR Aerospace and Ground Transportation. “We’re sending out a strong message that there will finally be a major, world-class hub at YMX, where the A220 is assembled and now maintained, thanks to this new Centre of Excellence.”
The 105,000-square-foot facility is expected to create over 100 “specialized jobs” in the region, “contributing to [Quebec’s] reputation as the world’s third-largest aerospace hub,” Avianor said.
Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy — who attended the recent groundbreaking ceremony — commended Avianor’s contribution to Quebec’s aerospace sector, stating, “Avianor’s project will help strengthen Quebec’s aerospace ecosystem and generate wealth throughout the life of the A220 aircraft. It’s SMEs like Avianor that enable Quebec’s aerospace sector to stand out on the international market.”
Avianor’s vice-president and chief operating officer, Hugo Brouillard, emphasized the facility’s significance in terms of innovation and service excellence, saying, “The A220 Centre of Excellence will be both a pillar of our growth and a vehicle for innovation, demonstrating our commitment to excellence in the services we offer our customers.
“More than a new facility, it represents a high degree of human and technological knowledge, all under one roof,” he concluded.
