American Travelers Given Certainty of C Series Travel with Bombardier Partnership

Airbus’ recently announced 50.1% stake in Bombardier’s C Series keeps the hopes of many air-travel consumers alive that there is indeed a better option to traverse the skies.

The innovative C Series aircraft built by Bombardier had previously been hit with a massive import tariff by the United States government following a complaint brought by Boeing, in an effort to stifle an innovative company’s efforts to approach the 100-150 seat market, a segment that Boeing had previously abandoned. But Boeing appears to have opened Pandora’s box now that the complaint has resulted in its largest competitor holding a majority stake in the CSeries program and even assembling the jets at Airbus’ Mobile facility in Alabama. This new partnership strips Boeing of its argument that the C Series threatens American jobs.

The Airbus-Bombardier partnership to continue production of the C Series jet benefits not just the two companies merging, but U.S. airline carriers, who now have an available, competitive vehicle to serve their desired routes. Another beneficiary of this agreement is the American economy and job creation, with thousands benefiting from good jobs along the supply chain and at a new assembly facility within our borders.

Most important of all, the deal is also a win for U.S. consumers that will have the choice to enjoy a newly designed and innovative aircraft that makes use of unique technologies to increase passenger comfort and improve fuel efficiency.

Airbus can bring truly global scale and reach while providing stability and American jobs for the C Series program that was targeted by anti-competitive efforts from Boeing. With Airbus’ final assembly in the United States, there is now certainty that American travelers will have access to redefined regional jet travel on routes previously relegated to smaller, older aircraft.

Boeing’s attempt to stymie Bombardier’s innovative efforts has pushed Bombardier and Airbus into each other’s arms. Despite the fact Boeing does not even produce an aircraft in the same market segment as Bombardier they attempted to reduce overall competition in the marketplace, a move that could potentially drive up costs for consumers who would be forced to fly on larger, older, more inefficient aircraft.

Thankfully the new Airbus-Bombardier partnership appears to have averted this bleak possibility for American consumers.