Canadian jet maker Bombardier says it plans new $270 million US investment

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Canadian jet maker Bombardier plans to invest $270 million in the United States and add 300 jobs, the company said on Friday, days after President Donald Trump dropped threats to ban the company from the country.

Trump’s September threats against Bombardier became a political issue in Kansas, where the company employs 1,500 people in Wichita. The threatened ban prompted calls to the White House from Kansas lawmakers, including Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing a tough race in the November 3 elections. In a speech in Wichita on Monday, Trump said he did not plan to hurt Bombardier and would take care of its workers. 

Bombardier announced $50 million of the investment in its Wichita operations earlier this month and plans additional funding for its operations in Indiana, Connecticut and Texas.

Bombardier reiterated on Friday it is hiring for 500 roles open across the US and said it is planning to create an additional 300 jobs through expansion projects.

“Based on our constructive conversations with the US administration, we see a bright path forward for our highly skilled aerospace workers as well as a positive environment for Bombardier to continue pursuing direct investments to grow our American footprint,” CEO Eric Martel said.

Bombardier shares were flat on Friday in midday trading.

In a Truth Social post late on Thursday, Trump said Bombardier’s investment would create jobs in Kansas, Texas, and Indiana.

Bombardier, which acquired Learjet and established its US headquarters in Kansas in 1990, has ​3,500 employees in the US, more than 40% of whom are in Wichita.

In February, Trump had threatened to decertify Bombardier aircraft over a certification dispute involving rival Gulfstream Aerospace. That threat never materialized because Transport Canada ultimately approved the jets.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Devika Nair, Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru, additional reporting by M Angela Christy; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Kate Mayberry and Devika Syamnath)