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WICHITA, Kan. – The Learjet, which has become synonymous with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, is about to disappear in the history of aviation.
Canadian Bombardier announced on Thursday that it will stop production of the Learjet later this year to focus on more profitable planes.
This means the elimination of 1,600 jobs in Canada and the United States, another blow to aircraft manufacturing, which is wilting in the pandemic.
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The iconic jet was one of the first luxury private aircraft. William Lear based his project in part on military jets. The first Learjet flew in 1963, and more than 3,000 have been built since then.
“It was elegant and had almost a jet fighter pedigree,” said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst at Teal Group. “In turn, it symbolized personal executive transportation. In addition, Carly Simon put this into a fantastic song – which cemented its place in popular culture. “
In addition to being a phrase from Simon’s 1971 hit, “You’re So Vain”, the jet appeared elsewhere in pop culture, including the TV show “Mad Men”. Frank Sinatra let Elvis Presley borrow his Learjet to escape with Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967.
In recent years, the aircraft’s production has decreased to about one per month. Thursday’s decision was foreshadowed in 2015, when Bombardier shut down an entirely new model, the Learjet 85, citing weak demand. Analysts can see the end of the line.
“The only thing the pandemic did was to accelerate a sad ending,” said Aboulafia.
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Bombardier said it will continue to support the Learjet fleet, and the existing jets will fly for many more years.
Most projected job losses for Montreal-based Bombardier will occur in Canada, with about 700 planned in Quebec and 100 in Ontario. The company said that about 250 jobs will be eliminated in Wichita this year and next, with another 100 job losses spread across the rest of the U.S.
CEO Eric Martel said in a statement that job cuts are always difficult, “but these cuts are absolutely necessary if we are to rebuild our company while continuing to navigate through the pandemic.”
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Air travel plummeted during the COVID-19 outbreak, causing a sharp drop in demand for new aircraft.
Bombardier said that ending production of the Learjet later this year will allow the company to focus on its most profitable Challenger and Global aircraft and accelerate the expansion of its service business.
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Koenig reported from Dallas.