Only three months after acquiring the wing manufacturing unit from Triumph Group, Bombardier has announced its intention to sell both its wing-making plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and its aerostructures plant in Morocco. While both enterprises supply customers beyond Bombardier, 3,600 jobs are now at stake in Belfast, while the Morocco unit has over 400 employees.
The move comes as part of Bombardier’s strategy which, according to a company statement, will see the “strategic formation of Bombardier Aviation, consolidating all aerospace assets into a single, streamlined and fully integrated business.” Core assets will be in Montreal, Mexico and Texas, according to a Bombardier statement from Thursday, May 2, the division being led by David Coleal, the head of Bombardier’s business-jet operations.
The Canadian plane and train maker confirmed it would look for a buyer that would “operate responsibly and help us achieve our full growth potential,” promising to work closely with employees and unions during the sale process.
The trade union Unite has been seeking reassurances that the Northern Ireland plant will remain operational if a buyer cannot be found. While the set-up may be of interest to Airbus, which has invested heavily in what is a current JV with Bombardier for the former Bombardier CSeries, now Airbus A220 family of single-aisle jets, Brexit uncertainty may well hold the French plane maker back. The principal problem here lies in the lack of clarity over trade tariffs between the U.K. and Europe that will be put in place post Brexit.
