Bombardier Opens New Plant at Toronto Pearson

By Phil Lightstone

May 1, 2024 saw the grand opening of Bombardier’s new manufacturing plant located at the north end of Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ). The opening of the new plant echoes the closure of their older plant at the Downsview Airport (CYZD). Sadly, on March 25, 2024, NAV Canada issued a NOTAM closing Downsview Airport.  Downsview Airfield opened in 1929 as a General Aviation airfield, one of two airports in the area. It was built by de Havilland Canada for testing aircraft at the plant located at the airport

At their investor conference, Bombardier announced NetJet’s commitment ordering 12 aircraft with options on 231 additional aircraft. Based upon supply chain logistics, Bombardier’s delivery concentrates deliveries of completed aircraft into Q4 of each year. Supply chain logistics management is a complex area of the business where Bombardier is hoping to change, allowing aircraft deliveries to be more evenly distributed throughout the year.

Bombardier began construction of their new manufacturing facility in 2019 with over 770,000 sq feet of hangar space dedicated to the manufacturing of their Global 7500 and 6500 private jet aircraft (to name a few). The facility employs roughly 2,000 highly skilled aerospace staff. The building provides all the necessary infrastructure to support Bombardier’s labour force, including a state-of-the-art cafeteria and electric car charging stations. The design of the new manufacturing plant greatly increases the efficiency of aircraft manufacturing versus the legacy Downsview plant.

The new facility is slated to manufacture roughly 180 aircraft per year but the actual capacity is a closely guarded secret. In 2023, Bombardier delivered 138 aircraft. Bombardier contributes $1.1 Billion GDP in Ontario and $5.7 Billion GDP to the Canadian economy.