By Frederick K. Larkin | August 29, 2022 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 43 seconds.
Another respected Canadian aerospace leader has been inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation. Rob Dewar of Airbus Canada became a member of that elite group at an awards ceremony near Salzburg, Austria, on Aug. 27. He joins more than 100 aviation-related engineers, pilots, entrepreneurs, managers, and celebrities including Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Tom Cruise, James Lovell, Elon Musk, and Frederick Smith. The other Canadians are Laurent Beaudoin and Marc Parent.
Equipped with bachelor of engineering and master of engineering degrees from McGill University, Dewar joined Canadair in May 1986. When Bombardier acquired Canadair in December that year, he continued to work on aircraft projects. A significant opportunity was presented to him in March 2004, when Bombardier created the New Commercial Aircraft Program (NCAP) to determine the potential viability of a new family of narrow-body jetliners. As one of NCAP’s first three employees, Dewar witnessed the creation of what would become the CSeries program. It was later renamed Airbus A220.
As vice president of CSeries Integrated Product Development, he was responsible for determining the market demand for 100- to 150-seat jet aircraft over the following two decades. His duties also included establishing the manufacturing process and the selection of key suppliers. Dewar was eventually named VP and general manager of the CSeries program. In that role, he oversaw the product’s development, manufacturing operations, supply chain, customer support, and international marketing efforts.
With 223 A220s delivered and 551 firm orders outstanding, the A220 program has confirmed the optimism expressed by its supporters when the prototype first flew on Sept. 16, 2013.
Since December 2019, Dewar has been Airbus Canada’s senior VP of A220 customer services, customer satisfaction and product policy. When asked recently by Skies what A220 issues are his priorities, he responded, “Increasing production, reducing costs, and supporting customers.”
The 100- to 150-seat market targeted by the A220 family appears to have significant growth potential. In its most recent forecast released in July, Airbus estimates that there will be global demand for at least 7,000 aircraft in that category over the next 20 years. Increasing passenger traffic and the replacement of aging aircraft are expected to be the key drivers.
If Airbus is to obtain a healthy share of that market, there will have to be an increased level of output at the two A220 facilities. The goal is to attain a monthly production rate of 10 units at Mirabel, Quebec, and four units at the Mobile, Alabama, plant by the end of 2025. That would represent an annual run rate of 168 units, up from the current 72 units per year. Furthermore, it is expected that the A220 program would be profitable at that point, thanks to the higher volumes and the implementation of cost-control programs.
Dewar, known as “The Father of the A220,” told Skies that he has been passionate about aircraft since he was a teenager, when he became “intrigued about how they could fly.” Appropriately, he soon learned to fly.
Canada’s latest “Living Legend of Aviation” has already been suitably honored by a customer. The first A220 of JetBlue Airways (N3008J/serial number 55099) wears his name. Like the A220, Dewar is a Canadian aerospace icon.
I am on the JetBlue plane that bears his name right now and had to “Google” him. Interesting article!