Airbus secured a $19 billion order for 150 new A220-300 aircraft from AirAsia, marking Canada's largest commercial aircraft deal ever. The agreement could potentially expand to $38 billion if AirAsia purchases another 150 of the larger A220-500 variant. This massive order provides a significant boost to Airbus's Canadian manufacturing base in Mirabel, Quebec.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed the deal as evidence of Ottawa's successful efforts to reduce dependence on the US through new global trade partnerships. The $19 billion agreement represents a major milestone for Airbus as it struggles to break even on the A220 program, which it acquired from Bombardier in 2018. Production ramp-up challenges have intensified following the integration of Spirit AeroSystems assets.

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes confirmed negotiations lasted over a year, with the airline securing substantial price discounts. "That's the aircraft we really want," Fernandes stated at the announcement. The former Air Canada executive John Gradek noted the production urgency, emphasizing the need to increase output beyond the current seven aircraft monthly rate.