Bombardier to lay off some workers at its facility in Wichita

MONTREAL – Bombardier Inc. announced Wednesday it is laying off more people at its facility in Wichita, Kan.

The decision will affect 100 permanent employees and 70 contract personnel, while 40 other permanent workers will be relocated elsewhere within the company.

A Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) spokeswoman said the moves are necessary because of slowdowns in the Learjet 85 program.

“We’re not exactly where we want to be with the (Learjet) program,” Isabelle Gauthier said in an interview.

No recall date has been set for the 100 permanent employees, she said.

“We’re not exactly at the stage of being able to offer work to these employees.”

The layoffs are expected to take place between now and the end of June.

The move will also have an impact on workers at Bombardier’s plant in Querataro, Mexico, where certain parts for the company’s new business plane are made. About 200 employees will be redeployed.

About 50 contract workers in Mexico will be deprived of work for an undetermined period, Gauthier said.

Another 50-odd employees in Montreal — mostly engineers — who are involved with the Learjet 85 program will not be affected.

Bombardier announced in January it was laying off 300 people in Wichita, or about 10 per cent of its employees in the city.