Bombardier

Bombardier is a popular aerospace company that is best known for its production of high-profile private jets. These aircraft are used by a wide variety of operators, including governments, fractional operators, and high-net-worth individuals. Currently, the company is focused exclusively on business aviation, offering a wide variety of long-range and technologically advanced aircraft.

History

Bombardier was originally founded in 1942 by Joseph-Armand Bombardier in Quebec, Canada. However, the company originally focused on the production of snowmobiles and other land transportation vehicles.

The company evolved thoroughly over the years, before eventually entering the aviation industry. In 1986, Bombardier officially made this jump by acquiring Canadair from the Canadian government. The acquisition was valued at approximately C$120 million, after Canadair posted the largest corporate loss in Canadian history. This meant that Bombardier would also take over production of its well-established aviation portfolio, which included the Bombardier Challenger 600 family and the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) series, which is still used today in regional commercial operations.

Bombardier also acquired several other companies in the late 1980s and the early 1990s to expand its aviation portfolio. This includes Short Brothers in 1989, Learjet in 1990, and de Havilland Canada in 1992. Even so, Bombardier spent most of the 1990s growing its business jet families. This included the Challenger 600 and Challenger 601 that were inherited from Canadair and several Learjet aircraft, including the Learjet 31, Learjet 35, and Learjet 55.

However, Bombardier leaned into its new aviation offerings, further developing several aircraft models. Bombardier developed the new Challenger 604 and the Learjet 60 from existing models, but it also launched the Global Express, the first of the Bombardier Global series and led Bombardier into the ultra-long-range business jet market.

Bombardier also focused on regional aircraft offerings through the 2000s, including the production of the CRJ family and the Dash 8 series. However, by the late 2010s, Bombardier shifted its focus back to the private aviation industry. The company sold the Q series, the CRJ program, and officially exited the C Series, which later became the Airbus A220. Today, the company offers several popular business jets, ranging from the super midsize class to the very top of the ultra-long-range market.

Aircraft Currently In Production

Today, Bombardier produces several popular business jet offerings:

Additionally, Bombardier is currently in the process of certifying its newest aircraft model, the Global 8000. This aircraft will be able to achieve a staggering range of 8,000 nautical miles and is expected to be certified in 2026.

Aircraft Previously Produced

Historically, Bombardier continued the production of several Canadair-developed aircraft after acquiring the company in the 1980s. This includes the CRJ100 and CRJ200 for regional commercial use. However, Bombardier also produced several business jets after acquiring Canadair in 1986. This includes the following aircraft.

●      Challenger 601 (1983-1995)

●      Challenger 604 (1995-2007)

●      Challenger 605 (2007-2015)

Bombardier kept the same mindset after acquiring Learjet. The company continued the production of several of Learjet’s most popular private jets, as well as continuing to expand the company’s offering, by producing private jets under the same brand name. This includes the following private jets:

●      Learjet 31 / 31A (1987-2003)

●      Learjet 35 / 36 (1973-1994)

●      Learjet 60 / 60XR (1995-2012)

●      Learjet 40 / 45 / 45XR (2002-2013_

●      Learjet 70 (2013-2015)

●      Learjet 75 (2013-2022)

Furthermore, Bombardier spent most of the 1990s and 2000s putting its own touch on the private aviation industry. In the mid-1990s, Bombardier converted the popular CRJ-200 regional jet into a business jet platform, called the Challenger 800. It later upgraded the aircraft model to the Challenger 850, before ending production in 2012.

Bombardier also developed the Global family in the 1990s. Earlier models in this still-produced series include the Global Express and the Global Express XRS, which were produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These aircraft were later spun off into the Global 5000 and the Global 6000, which were, in turn, developed into the currently produced Global 5500 and Global 6500.

Company Info

Bombardier continued to see success after shifting its focus to only private jet production in the late 2010s.

Popular Operators

Bombardier has grown into one of the most popular private jet manufacturers for private jet providers in the world. The aircraft is utilized by some of the largest fractional ownership operators and is used for charter operations around the world.

Some of the most popular fractional ownership and charter operators that fly Bombardier include:

●      NetJets

○      Challenger 350/3500

○      Challenger 650

○      Global 5000

○      Global 5500

○      Global 6000

○      Global 7500

●      Flexjet

○      Challenger 300/350

○      Global Express

●      VistaJet

○      Challenger 300/350

○      Challenger 605

○      Challenger 850

○      Global 5000

○      Global 6000

○      Global 7500

●      AirShare

●      AirX Charter

●      XO Jet

Bombardier, Inc., is a Canadian manufacturer of business jets tracing its history back to 1937. It currently produces the Challenger 350 and 3500 super-midsize private jets, the Challenger 650, a large cabin business jet, and the Global 5500, 6500, 7500, and 8000, long-range large-cabin private jets. It previously owned and produced the Learjet before closing the line.

NetJets (Challenger 300, 350, 650, Global 5000, 5500, 6000, 7500), Flexjet (Challenger 300, 350, Global Express), VistaJet (Challenger 300, 350, 605, 650, 850, Global 5000, 6000, 7500), and Airshare are leading fractional and charter operators currently flying Bombardier private jets.