WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The iconic Learjet, which carried generations of business executives and was made famous in pop songs, is about to fade into aviation history.
Canada's Bombardier said Thursday it will end production of the Learjet later this year.
“With our strategic repositioning now complete, we are very excited to embark on our journey as a pure-play business jet company,” said Éric Martel, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. in a news release. “Our unmatched product portfolio, world-class customer services network and incredibly talented employees give us a strong foundation to build upon. We are encouraged by our momentum in the fourth quarter and are confident in the actions we are taking to navigate through the pandemic and better position the Company for a market recovery.”
The company will eliminate 1,600 jobs in Canada and the United States.
According to The Associated Press, 700 jobs in Quebec and 100 in Ontario are where most of the projected job losses will occur.
The plane first flew in the 1960s and was among the first private luxury jets.
Frank Sinatra let Elvis Presley borrow his Learjet to elope with Priscilla Beaulieu.
But the Learjet's fate was sealed in 2015 when Bombardier dropped plans to build a new model.
The pandemic also hurt demand for planes.
