Airbus Bombardier C-Series deal could save Belfast jobs

Under the agreement, Airbus will acquire a 50.01 per cent stake in the C- Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP) whilst Bombardier will own approximately 31 per cent of the business.

Whilst Airbus has acquired its stake without handing over any money, access to the aerospace giant’s supply chain expertise and global sales reach is expected to generate considerable production cost savings for the C-Series and enable access to new markets.

The deal also cements Airbus’ stature in the growing market for single aisle aircraft which represents 70 per cent of the expected global future demand. The 100 – 150 seat C Series is considered to be highly complementary to Airbus’ existing single aisle aircraft portfolio, which focuses on the higher end of the single-aisle business (150-240 seats).

The deal is welcome news for Bombardier in the wake of the recent decision by the US department of commerce to impose import tariffs of 300 per cent on the aircraft (this was increased from an initial tariff of 220 per cent), and could help protect up to 1000 jobs at Bombardiers’ Belfast plant, where the wings for the C-Series jet are manufactured. The partnership is also expected to secure jobs at the main C-Series assembly site in Quebec, Canada.