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WICHITA, Kan. – The Learjet, which became synonymous with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, is about to disappear into aviation history.
Canadian Bombardier announced on Thursday that it will be discontinuing production of the Learjet later this year to focus on more profitable aircraft.
That means the cutting of 1,600 jobs in Canada and the United States, another blow to the aerospace industry that has been withered by the pandemic.
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The iconic jet was one of the first luxury private jets. William Lear based his design partly on military jets. The first Learjet flew in 1963 and more than 3,000 had been built since then.
“It was sleek and it almost had a fighter-jet pedigree,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at Teal Group. “Before that time it was a symbol of personal executive transport. Besides, Carly Simon turned it into a fantastic song – that has cemented its place in popular culture. “
In addition to being a line in Simon’s 1971 hit, ‘You’re So Vain,’ the jet also surfaced elsewhere in pop culture, including the hit TV show ‘Mad Men.’ Frank Sinatra had Elvis Presley borrow his Learjet to walk away with Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967.
In recent years, production of the aircraft had slowed to about one a month. Thursday’s decision was foreshadowed in 2015, when Bombardier pulled the plug on an all-new model, the Learjet 85, citing weak demand. Analysts could see the end of the line.
“All the pandemic did was speed up a sad ending,” Aboulafia said.
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Bombardier said it will continue to support the Learjet fleet and existing jets will fly for many years to come.
Most of the projected job cuts for Montreal-based Bombardier will take place in Canada, with about 700 planned in Quebec and 100 in Ontario. The company said approximately 250 jobs will be cut in Wichita this year and next, with an additional 100 job cuts spread across the rest of the US.
CEO Eric Martel said in a statement that job cuts are always difficult, “but these reductions are imperative for us to rebuild our business as we continue to navigate the pandemic.”
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Air travel fell sharply during the COVID-19 outbreak, causing demand for new aircraft to drop sharply.
Bombardier said ending production of the Learjet later this year will allow the company to focus on its more profitable Challenger and Global aircraft and accelerate the expansion of its service business.
Koenig reported from Dallas.