Citation
Airbus, Bombardier and Investissement Québec Conclude C Series Partnership
TL;DR
Program kept in Mirabel, Quebec but faced integration pressure
Announcement of Airbus acquiring majority control of Bombardier's C Series program (rebranded A220) for effectively zero dollars. The acquisition demonstrates the challenges of post-merger integration when the acquirer imposes processes too quickly.
The A220 case became a lesson in calibrated integration: initial high migration rate (~45% process replacement) triggered attrition; eventual autonomy grant (reducing to ~15%) allowed hybrid culture to stabilize.
Key Findings from SE (2018)
- Airbus acquired C Series for effectively $0
- Program kept in Mirabel, Quebec but faced integration pressure
- Initial process integration triggered significant attrition
- Semi-autonomous status eventually granted to preserve agility