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Bombardier to lay off 715 workers in Montreal

Nov. 26, 2009 – Bombardier Aerospace will lay off an additional 715 workers in its Montreal-area facilities as it reduces production of its CRJ regional jets.

The company says a tough economic and airline industry environment make it difficult to gain new aircraft orders. Executives have been warning of cuts to the company's workforce for some time.

Bombardier says there will also be a small number of layoffs related to a reduced output rate for its Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft.

The company's executives have been warning for some time that there was a strong possibility that more cuts would be required in addition to 4,360 layoffs previously announced this fiscal year for Bombardier's worldwide operations.

The latest layoffs will begin in January 2010 and will last through the first two quarters of the next fiscal year.

Bombardier said severance costs associated with the layoffs will be about US$10 million.

"There are not enough projected CRJ aircraft sales to maintain the current production plans,'' said Guy Hachey, president and chief executive officer of Bombardier Aerospace.

"We fully recognize the impact this additional workforce reduction will have on our affected workers and their families.''

Bombardier did say however that it will continue to invest in new aircraft programs which include the CRJ1000 NextGen, Learjet 85 and CSeries aircraft programs.

The company says these will lead to the recruitment of about 500 people in the future.