Bombardier to close CL-415 completion center

Bombardier has decided to shut down the completion facility for CL-415 water-bombers while the programme remains paused pending further orders.

Since 1998, Bombardier has built the CL-415 at a plant in Montreal, then transported the firefighting amphibian to North Bay, Ontario, for completion work.

Last April, Bombardier announced internally that the programme would be paused after the last three aircraft on order are delivered this year if no more sales contracts are signed.

All three aircraft remaining in the backlog at the beginning of this year have been delivered, and no new orders have been signed.

So Bombardier decided not to renew the lease on the North Bay facility where the aircraft are completed with firefighting equipment.

Activity at the manufacturing facility in Montreal remains paused for now, but 60 employees continue to market the aircraft and support the existing fleet.

The original piston-powered CL-215 amphibian played a key role in Canadair’s evolution from licensed maker of foreign military aircraft into a commercial aircraft manufacturer in the late 1960s.

The CL-215 served to bridge the company's aircraft manufacturing between the demise of the CL-44 airliner and the launch of the CL-600 Challenger business jet. Bombardier later acquired Canadair from the Canadian government.

The turboprop-engined CL-415 was introduced in 1994, but sales have recently slowed.

Bombardier delivered 240 CL-215 and CL-415 models combined, including the CL-415 maritime patrol version and turboprop-powered CL-215T variant.

The in-service fleet includes 162 aircraft operated by 22 customers.