Bombardier is a global leader in aerospace with more than 60,000 workers spread across two industries. The Canadian-based company is renowned for building cutting-edge jets. Bombardier was established in 1942 by Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who got his start making snowmobiles. It wouldn’t be until 1986 that the company ventured in aerospace, after establishing itself firmly in the train and subway manufacturing business of Canada.
Airbus and Bombardier C Series partnership 6
Bombardier
Stock Code
BBDB
Business Type
Planemaker
Date Founded
July 10, 1942
CEO
Éric Martel
Headquarters Location
Dorval, Canada
Nearly a century of relentless invention has carried Bombardier from making simple snow vehicles in rural Quebec to building the class-leading, cutting‑edge Global 8000 business jet. With its headquarters located in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier operates engineering and production facilities in more than 25 countries today. Now let’s explore the journey that has brought this iconic Canadian brand to where it is today.
Snowy Origins In Rural Québec
Auto Neige snowmobile by Bombardier
Photo: Bombardier Recreational Products
Born in 1907, Joseph-Armand Bombardier constructed his first snow vehicle at the age of 15. The simple goal was to make travel easier in the snowy county of rural Quebec. In pursuit of his unyielding passion for snowmobiling, Bombardier introduced the renowned Ski-Doo in 1959. He was inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2024 for that very same machine, US Patent No. 3,023,824.
His first machine shop opened in Valcourt in 1926, using his spare time to develop new methods of traversing the unplowed snows of Quebec. In 1937, he had introduced the seven-passenger B7 alongside the twelve-passenger B12 snowmobile. These machines would be his first great commercial success and begin the saga of industrial evolution that made Bombardier the company that it is now.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier passed away in 1964. Laurent Beaudoin, his son-in-law, took over as the company's president in 1966. The business grew organically and diversified through strategic expansion under his leadership. The business started to pick up steam in 1969 when Bombardier went public, trading on the Toronto and Montreal Stock Exchanges. In 2003, the snowmobile division became its own company, and today it is one of the world leaders in recreational vehicles - Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).
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Diversification Into The Railway Business
Wikimedia Commons<\/a>""> Photo: NAC | Wikimedia Commons
Bombardier entered the rail market by purchasing Lohner-Rotax of Austria in 1970. In 1974, Bombardier secured an order from Societe de transport de Montréal (STM) to build trains for the Montreal Metro. The core of the transportation group was formed when Bombardier purchased the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in 1975, making its first rail-focused production plant.
In the 1980s, Bombardier expanded its presence in Europe with the acquisition of a share in the second-largest French railway manufacturer, ANF Industrie, in 1989. By the late 1990s, Bombardier had become the leading North American producer of rail equipment, even selling 825 subway cars to New York City in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Bombardier Inc. Timeline:
Year Milestone
1907 Joseph-Armand Bombardier born in Valcourt, Québec
1922 Builds first prototype “snow vehicle” at age 15
1937 Commercial debut of seven-passenger B7 snowmobile
1942 L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée founded; 12-passenger B12 enters production
1959 Launch of Ski-Doo spawns modern snowmobiling industry
1966 Laurent Beaudoin becomes president
1969 Company lists on Montreal and Toronto stock exchanges
1970 First rail acquisition: Lohnerwerke (Austria) and engine maker Rotax
1974 Contract for 423 cars for Montreal Metro secures mass-transit foothold
1982 Wins 825-car New York City Transit Authority order, cementing North-American rail leadership
1986 Enters aerospace by acquiring Canadair and CL-215 amphibian program
1989 Launch of 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) program
1990 Adds Learjet Corporation to portfolio
1992 CRJ certified; acquires de Havilland Dash 8 turboprop line (later “Q Series”)
1993 Announces ultra-long-range Global Express business-jet project
1994 Bombardier 415 amphibious water-bomber introduced
1997 CRJ700 variant unveiled, expanding regional-jet family
1999 Global Express enters service; Sea-Doo and ATV lines dominate recreational markets
2003 Sells recreational-products division (now BRP) to focus on rail and aerospace
2007 Autorail Grande Capacité hybrid train introduced; CRJ1000 announced
2013 C-Series commercial airliner completes first flight
2015 Five-year restructuring plan launched to deleverage company
2017 Forms partnership with Airbus; C Series rebranded A220
2020 Sells Bombardier Transportation to Alstom, exiting commercial rail sector
2021 Introduces Challenger 3500 business jet
2022 Reveals Global 8000 flagship, establishes Bombardier Defense, and launches EcoJet sustainability research
In the 1990s, Bombardier acquired the rail manufacturing division of Hawker Siddeley Canada and expanded its European operations by purchasing German factories in Bautzen and Görlitz, Germany, along with a plant in Switzerland. Bombardier's largest acquisition came just after the turn of the millennium when it purchased Adtranz from Daimler-Chrysler. The combination would make Bombardier the largest rail-equipment manufacturer in the world.
Over the next few years, plans went awry, and the company could not keep pace. Mass lay-offs began and contract penalties accumulated By 2018, Bombardier slipped to become the third largest rail-equipment manufacturer in the Western World and fourth globally. In 202, Alstom agreed to buy the Bombardier Transportation division and finalized the deal for $4.7 billion USD.
Ascent To Aerospace
Bombardier Global 800 in flight render
Photo: Bombardier
In 1986, Bombardier acquired Canadair shortly followed by Short Brothers in 1989. By 1990, the company's first product, the Ski-Doo snowmobile, had become a weak product of the, now, much larger industrial corporation. In 1990, it acquired Learjet as well as De Havilland Canada from Boeing , and founded Flexjet in 1995.
In 2016, Bombardier delivered the first C-Series CS100 aircraft, now called the Airbus A220, to Swiss International Air Lines. In 2017, Boeing contested that Bombardier was selling its commercial jet to Delta Air Lines below cost due to subsidies from the governments of Canada and Quebec. The US Department of Commerce proposed a 219% tariff on the aircraft, which was eventually overturned in 2018, but by that time it was too late for the program to take off.
In 2018, Airbus acquired a 50.01% stake in the C-Series with an option to acquire the remaining interest by 2024. The company also announced the sale of its turboprop passenger aircraft unit to Viking Air on top of 5,000 layoffs. In 2019, the company sold its Business Aircraft Training business to CAE, including flight simulators and training devices for the Bombardier Learjet, Challenger, and Global model lines.
In October 2019, Bombardier began the sale of its aerostructure division to US company Spirit AeroSystems , which included parts manufacture for Bombardier and Airbus group aircraft models. It also included aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul and assets. The 2020 reorganization was billed as a strategic plan to reposition itself as a pure business jet company.
In 2020, Airbus acquired an additional 25% stake in the A220 program, marking the final step to push Bombardier Aviation out of the commercial jet business. In 2022, Bombardier Defense was established to offer new aircraft solutions for special mission operators, covering a range of demanding missions based on the business jet model lineup.
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Divesting The Canadair Regional Jet
Bombardier Ecojet concept render
Photo: Bombardier
In June 2020, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries finalized a deal to purchase Bombardier's CRJ regional jet program for $550 million. Type certifications and service centers in the US and Canada were transferred, together with the whole maintenance, support, marketing, and sales operation. Bombardier committed to completing unfinished airplanes for Mitsubishi. By adding experienced employees, infrastructure, and intellectual property that would have taken years to duplicate, the acquisition gave MHI instant access to a worldwide support network.
Seiji Izumisawa, president of MHI, referred to the acquisition as a landmark step in the development of a full-scale commercial aviation enterprise. The global fleet and program provided Mitsubishi with a strong customer base, steady service revenue, and support for future aircraft deliveries. It was also hoped that the engineering depth of the CRJ team enhanced SpaceJet development. Unfortunately, the SpaceJet program was discontinued in 2023.
The sale completed the aerospace restructuring and allowed the company to concentrate on core defense and business jet programs. The remaining CRJ backlog was to be assembled and components supplied by the company before the plant shut down in 2021. In the end, the deal transforms MHI from a prospective newcomer to an established partner for airlines that require foolproof, reliable, and efficient regional flights.
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Looking Skyward To The Future
Bombardier Defense Challanger 350
Photo: Bombardier
Bombardier unveiled the Global 8000 aircraft, the world's fastest and longest-range purpose-built business jet. The aircraft will contribute to the Canadian aerospace industry to support the development of aerospace knowledge and talent in the domestic market. Bombardier's revenues grew year-over-year to $8.7 billion, driven by record service performance and 146 aircraft deliveries in 2024.
Bart Demosky, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said in a recent webcast:
“Over the past few years, we have made key investments in our business… [and] our Services business and expanded our network by nearly 1 million sq feet in 2022, and have grown our Defense business all while following a disciplined and return on invested capital framework. These targeted investments are paying off, and we plan to continue this approach to help us unlock further value while mitigating risks factors and pressure on the balance sheet.”
Executives Éric Martel and Bart Demosky told investors that Bombardier is anticipated to grow over the second half of the decade and meet its mid-decade targets for revenue. High-return initiatives and the rapidly developing Bombardier Defense segment will be the company's main priorities. With debt reduction and carefully considered investments in production capacity, infrastructure, and acquisitions, Bombardier is on track to steady growth.