Bombardier to sell its ‘waterbomber’ aircraft business

Bombardier will sell its amphibious aircraft business – which includes manufacture of the Bombardier 415 “waterbomber” firefighting aircraft – after pausing that work more than six months ago.

The parent of Wichita’s Learjet said Monday that it has reached an agreement to sell the business to Viking Air Ltd., a British Columbia aircraft manufacturer. Bombardier said it paused work on producing amphibious aircraft in December.

Neither Bombardier nor Viking disclosed the value of the deal, which Bombardier expects to close in a few months.

“This transaction supports our goal of rebuilding a clear path to profitable earnings growth and cash generation,” Alain Bellemare, Bombardier president and CEO, said in a news release. “While the Amphibious Aircraft program is part of our long history, this divestiture positions Bombardier to better focus on our core, higher growth businesses; business jets, commercial aircraft and rail transportation.”

For several years now, Bombardier has been in a cash crunch, devoting much of what it has to its C Series commercial aircraft and Global 7000/8000 business jet development programs.

Bombardier said the sale includes type certificates for all variants of its amphibious aircraft –the CL-215, the CL-215T and the Bombardier 415 – as well as after-market services. The 50 employees that support the amphibious business will be transferred to other parts of Bombardier’s operations, the company said in its release.

Viking said the deal means it will support the current fleet of Bombardier amphibious aircraft, which totals 170 waterbombers in service with 21 operations in 11 countries.

“This acquisition expands Viking’s capabilities in product support and parts into another vital niche aviation segment, and ensures that a unique and important Canadian innovation stays in Canada,” David Curtis, Viking president and CEO, said in a release. “Our aim is to take the 415 to its highest potential and keep these aircraft in service for decades to come.”

Viking said it plans to add up to 40 employees for the waterbomber, which it will support from a newly acquired, 50,000-square-foot facility in Calgary, Alberta. A Viking spokesman said there are no immediate plans to restart production of the waterbomber.

Viking manufactures the Twin Otter 400, a twin-engine turboprop. Lee Aerospace, 9323 E. 34th St. North, manufactures part of the Otter’s fuselage.

Viking also holds the original type certificates for eight aircraft previously manufactured by former aircraft maker de Haviland.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Bombardier to sell its ‘waterbomber’ aircraft business."