Bombardier to invest US$270 million in U.S. as Trump’s threats fade

The Canadian private jet maker Bombardier Inc. says it’s hiring 800 people in the United States as it regains President Donald Trump’s favour.

Recruitment for 500 positions is already ongoing, including backfill roles at its wing manufacturing facility in Red Oak, Texas, and 300 jobs will be added through expansion projects, the company announced Friday. Among the new jobs, 150 will be created at its service centre in Dallas, and the others in Kansas, Connecticut and Indiana.

The investments in infrastructure will total US$270 million in the first phase, which covers the US$50 million announced for its North American learning centre for aircraft technicians and new capabilities in its Wichita, Kansas, operations last week.

Bombardier’s shares dropped as much as three per cent in early trading in Toronto, before paring those losses as of 10:22 a.m.

Over the past year, Trump has made several threats against Bombardier, which is a rival to Savannah, Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp.

He said in January he would decertify aircraft made in Canada and levy a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian-made aircraft over certification issues in Canada on certain jets made by Gulfstream. The matter was later resolved. He also threatened in September to boycott Bombardier planes amid an escalation in the trade fight with Canada, but pulled back his threat during a rally in Kansas this week after his administration found out “they have a presence here.”

The president unveiled Bombardier’s investment and the creation of “THOUSANDS of American Jobs,” in a post on Truth Social late Thursday night. He added that Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton have “done an incredible job in getting this deal.”

Over half of Bombardier’s sales come from the U.S., the largest market for private jets, and the firm says it supports more than 27,000 jobs through its service and manufacturing facilities, along with suppliers. It employed 3,400 people in the U.S. in 2025, about 18 per cent of its global workforce.

“Based on our constructive conversations with the U.S. 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,” Bombardier chief executive Eric Martel said in a statement.