Bombardier Aviation has announced the loss of 2,500 jobs as the manufacturer seeks to adapt to current market conditions and challenges caused by COVID-19.

With industry-wide business jet deliveries now forecast to be down approximately 30 per cent year-over-year due to the pandemic, a statement issued by the manufacturer said that it must adjust its operations and workforce to ensure that it emerges from the current crisis on solid footing.

Majority of job losses within Canadian manufacturing operations

Bombardier Aviation said it has made the “difficult decision” to reduce its workforce by approximately 2,500 employees. The company has a total of 60,000 employees working across two business sectors. The majority of these reductions will impact manufacturing operations in Canada and will be carried out progressively throughout 2020. Bombardier’s worldwide customer service operations have continued to operate largely uninterrupted throughout the pandemic.

Bombardier expects to record a special charge of approximately $40M in 2020 for this workforce adjustment and will provide further information on its market outlook when it reports its second quarter financial results on August 6, 2020.

Bombardier Aviation’s initial response to the pandemic was to suspend manufacturing operations to support local government efforts to slow the spread of the virus and to protect the health and safety of employees, partners and customers.

Over the past month, Bombardier Aviation has also implemented comprehensive procedures and safeguards in the past month guided by health professionals and industry best practices to further protect employees and communities as its manufacturing operations resumed.
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