Bombardier announced plans last week to slash regional jet production and cut more than 1,300 jobs, but will boost output of its Q Series turboprops.
Production of the CRJ700/CRJ900 in Montreal will be reduced in November to one aircraft every five days from one every three days. This will see about 65 CRJ700/900s delivered during the year to 31 January 2007 compared with 74 (plus 47 CRJ200/440/Challenger 800s) in the last fiscal year. Deliveries will fall a further 23% to some 50 aircraft in FY2007-08. Production of the 50-seat CRJ200/440 was suspended this year. Meanwhile, Q Series production at Bombardier's Toronto plant is rising from 28 aircraft in FY2005-06 to about 50 in FY2006-07 and 65 in FY2007-08.
"Restructuring of the industry continues, with relatively few orders for 70- to 90-seat regional jets in recent years," says Bombardier Aerospace president and chief operating officer Pierre Beaudoin. "This situation should improve, as attested by the numerous sales campaigns we are pursuing."
The CRJ cutbacks will result in 1,330 layoffs over a nine-month period, including 645 at Bombardier's Belfast plant (where CRJ fuselage subassemblies are built) and 485 in its Montreal sites, plus 200 other staff. Toronto employment will increase by 800 by the end of FY2006.
Source: Flight International
