Bombardier Inc.

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Bombardier began building aircraft in the 1980s and later developed the Challenger series of business jets.

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Bombardier Inc. is a Canadian aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Montreal. Founded in 1942 by inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier, the company began as a maker of snow vehicles and later grew into a diversified industrial conglomerate with major businesses in rail transportation, recreational products, and aircraft manufacturing. After selling off those businesses, Bombardier has focused on the design, manufacture, and servicing of business jets, including the Challenger and Global lines of aircraft.

Bombardier traces its origins to Joseph-Armand Bombardier, a Canadian inventor from rural Quebec who set out to develop vehicles capable of traveling reliably over snow-covered terrain. In 1937, he patented a system that combined skis and tracks, and in 1942, he founded L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée to manufacture his designs. Early vehicles were large, enclosed machines used for transporting passengers, mail, and goods in regions with limited winter road access, as well as for emergency and military purposes during World War II.

After the war, Bombardier continued refining snow vehicles for civilian use. In 1959, the company introduced the Ski-Doo, a smaller, lighter snowmobile aimed at the consumer market. The Ski-Doo proved commercially successful and helped establish snowmobiling as a recreational activity, while also transforming Bombardier from a niche manufacturer into a growing industrial company. In 1967, the company adopted the name Bombardier Limited, reflecting its expanding ambitions beyond specialized snow transport.

Beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s, Bombardier expanded beyond snow vehicles through a series of acquisitions that reshaped the company. A major step came with its 1976 merger with Montreal Locomotive Works, a builder of railway equipment founded in 1902 as the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal. The combined company adopted the name Bombardier Inc. two years later, signaling a shift toward larger-scale transportation and industrial markets.

Rail transportation soon became a central part of Bombardier’s business. The company acquired manufacturers in Europe and North America and built a wide range of products that included subway cars, commuter and intercity rail vehicles, and rapid transit systems. Major contracts, including large subway car orders for New York City in the 1980s, established Bombardier as a leading supplier of rail equipment in North America and an increasingly important player internationally.

At the same time, Bombardier expanded its manufacturing capabilities by acquiring companies that supplied key components. The purchase of the Austrian firm Lohnerwerke and its engine-making affiliate Rotax strengthened Bombardier’s manufacturing base and supported its growing transportation business. By the early 1980s, Bombardier had significant operations in rail transportation, specialized vehicles, and related manufacturing.

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Bombardier’s Global Express long-range business jet, a twin-engine aircraft introduced in 1999.

© 1999 Bombardier Aerospace Inc.

In the mid-1980s, Bombardier further broadened its industrial base by acquiring established aircraft manufacturers, marking a major shift in the company’s direction. In 1986, it purchased Canadair, then Canada’s leading aerospace company, bringing jet aircraft design and production into the company for the first time. Canadair’s Challenger business jet provided Bombardier with an early foothold in the corporate aviation market.

The company expanded its aerospace presence through additional acquisitions. In 1989, Bombardier bought Short Brothers, a Northern Ireland–based aircraft manufacturer with roots dating to the early days of aviation. The following year it acquired Learjet, a U.S. maker of business jets closely associated with founder William P. Lear. In 1992, De Havilland Canada joined Bombardier, adding a long-established turboprop aircraft line.

By the early 1990s, Bombardier had assembled a wide range of aerospace businesses that included business jets, regional aircraft, and specialized utility planes.

After years of expanding into rail transportation, recreational vehicles, and several types of aircraft, Bombardier began to narrow its business, as competitive pressures and costs mounted throughout its operations. Beginning in the 2000s, the company sold or spun off businesses that no longer fit its strategy. Its recreational products operations, including snowmobiles and personal watercraft, were spun off into a separate company, and its rail transportation business was later sold to the French manufacturer Alstom.

Bombardier also withdrew from commercial and regional aircraft manufacturing. Production of its regional jets ended, and the C Series narrow-body aircraft program was transferred to Airbus, where the aircraft became known as the A220. These steps reflected the high costs and intense competition of the commercial aircraft market.

With those businesses gone, Bombardier concentrated on business aviation, focusing on the design, manufacture, and support of large-cabin and long-range business jets.

Bombardier designs and builds business jets for corporate, government, and private use. Its aircraft lineup consists of two types: the Challenger series of large-cabin business jets and the Global series of long-range and ultra-long-range aircraft. These jets are designed for intercontinental travel and are used for corporate transport, government missions, and specialized roles such as medical evacuation.

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The Bombardier Challenger 350 is a midsize business jet used in long-range corporate and charter travel.

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Aircraft manufacturing takes place primarily in Canada, with additional facilities and service centers in the United States and other countries. In addition to building aircraft, Bombardier provides maintenance, parts, and technical support through a global service network that helps operators keep their aircraft in service for decades.

The company also maintains a significant presence in the U.S., the world’s largest market for business aviation. Bombardier employs more than 3,000 U.S. workers, and its supply chain includes about 2,800 companies in 47 states. Some major aircraft components, including wings, engines, flight-control systems, and avionics, are made in the U.S.

Bombardier’s business has been affected by trade and regulatory tensions between Canada and the U.S. In January 2026, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and regulatory action against Canadian-made aircraft in connection with a certification dispute involving U.S. manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace. In September, amid worsening U.S.-Canada trade tensions, Trump threatened to bar Bombardier from selling aircraft in the U.S. unless the company manufactured its planes there. The threat followed the collapse of bilateral trade talks in August.