INTERNATIONAL - Airbus SE is betting that its corporate-jet division won’t be as hard hit by the pandemic as commercial flights as the planemaker unveiled a business version of its A220 model.
The aircraft will have three times more cabin space and cost about a third less to run than competing models, said Airbus, which took over the development of the plane from Bombardier in February. The model is based on the A220-100 and will be able to fly as far as 10,500 km, enough to connect London to Los Angeles.
Airbus already has corporate models based on its A320-family, A330 and A350 aircraft.
The global spread of the coronavirus has prompted gloomy predictions about the future of business travel, with demand likely to be hurt as companies get used to virtual meetings. Still, concerns about rising infection rates make private jets a more attractive proposition for those who do need to travel and can afford it.
Airbus’ core business of manufacturing commercial aircraft has been hard-hit by the pandemic. The company plans to cut 15,000 jobs and doesn’t see a rebound in global air-traffic levels until 2023 or even 2025.
BLOOMBERG