Employees work on a plane at a Bombardier plant in Dorval, Que., in April, 2025.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Bombardier Inc. BBD-B-T will spend about $100-million to build a new factory in Montreal as the maker of luxury private jets plots an increase in production capacity to meet strong industry demand.
The company declined to provide specifics about how it will use the new plant. Spokesperson Christina Lemyre McCraw said only that it would support existing product lines, which include both commercial and defence aircraft.
Stretching over 126,000 square feet near two other Bombardier plants in the suburb of Dorval, the new facility will be open by the end of 2027, Bombardier said in a news release.
The company builds Challenger model jets in Montreal while Mississauga is the main assembly site for its larger-cabin Global jets. Both aircraft are used in civil applications as well as defence, which involves being outfitted with specialized sensors and other equipment by a separate manufacturer.
“This major investment demonstrates our commitment to support Bombardier’s growth and build the infrastructure we need to maximize our productivity,” David Murray, Bombardier’s manufacturing chief, said in the release. “As we expand our manufacturing capacity, we’re positioning ourselves to keep up with global demand and solidify our position at the top of the business aviation industry.”
Demand for private jets high, Bombardier says as it reports strong third-quarter earnings
Bombardier is among the few companies expressing bullish outlooks as a major swath of corporate Canada gets pounded by U.S. tariffs, which have resulted in plunging Canadian export volumes and growing economic uncertainty. Its backlog of jets that have been ordered but not yet delivered is at a five-year high, climbing by US$500-million during the third quarter to peak at US$16.6-billion.
Industry consultant Rolland Vincent, creator of the JetNet iQ Survey, is forecasting that manufacturers will deliver about 820 business jets in all in 2025. If the numbers are confirmed in final tallies, it would be the first year since 2019 that global shipments topped 800 units.
Still, aircraft makers could be building even more were it not for persistent headwinds such as supplier trouble, he said at an industry event in October. Industry officials have spoken about delays in delivering parts and quality issues stemming from challenges including obtaining raw materials and retaining technical workers.
Bombardier has made several major investments in recent years to boost its aircraft production operations and service and repair network. The company inaugurated a new component manufacturing facility in Moorpark, Calif., last August and in 2024, opened a new US$400-million factory at Toronto Pearson International Airport that builds the Global jet family.
Quebec’s investment arm is backing Bombardier’s expansion project with a $35-million repayable loan under its ESSOR business financing program, according to information jointly released by the provincial government and the company. The investment will lead to the creation of “hundreds of highly skilled, well-paid jobs while strengthening Quebec’s expertise” in aerospace, Quebec Economy Minister Christine Fréchette said in the news release.
Bombardier is in negotiations with Saab AB about the possibility of building the Swedish company’s Gripen fighter jets in Canada under licence, although a decision on that is entirely in the hands of the federal government because it would buy many of the planes. The two companies are already partners on Saab’s GlobalEye surveillance plane, which is a modified Global jet.