Program Updates

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Expanding our World-Class Facilities

October 15, 2009

With many product development milestones accomplished, including the completion of our second proof of concept fuselage and completion of wind tunnel testing, we are now forging ahead with the expansion of production and final assembly sites for the Learjet 85 aircraft. This expansion includes a new manufacturing building at the Querétaro site, which is responsible for primary structure manufacturing and pre-assembly, as well as expansion at the Wichita site where final assembly and delivery of the Learjet 85 aircraft will take place.

Building the Best

Responsibilities at the Querétaro site include fabrication of composite structures such as the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer, as well as electrical harness fabrication, wing assembly and sub-system installations. The Mexico site already supports many other Bombardier products. In just over 30 months, progress at the Querétaro site has been impressive with the delivery of over 65,000 electrical harnesses and sub-assemblies and over 600 major structural assemblies for Bombardier aircraft. To prepare for production of the Learjet 85 aircraft, ground was broken for a new Learjet 85 building, bringing the total space dedicated to the program to approximately 200,000 sq ft. The new building will support program requirements with a factory layout based on lean manufacturing principles. Manufacturing of the composite structure for the Learjet 85 aircraft is scheduled to begin in the coming year.

Wichita Prepares to Receive the Composite Structure

The Learjet name embodies a legacy of excellence in the history of business aviation. Following in the footsteps of its proud predecessors, final completion of the new Learjet 85 aircraft will be done in Wichita. To ensure the successful and timely completion of this exciting new aircraft we are increasing our Wichita facilities in preparation for the final assembly and delivery of the Learjet 85 aircraft. All new manufacturing facilities will incorporate world recognized lean manufacturing principles.

Internationally Recognized for Quality and Safety

Ensuring the highest quality standards are met is key to every Bombardier aircraft. As such, our world-class facilities in Wichita and Querétaro adhere to the same high-quality standards as all Bombardier sites worldwide. Our Wichita site has earned international certifications through the years. Meanwhile, in less than three years of operation, the Querétaro site has received international certifications in Health & Safety (OSHAS 18001 and ISO 14001), Quality (AS9100) as well as the Bombardier Safety Award. We look forward to sharing more exciting news on how our manufacturing sites are helping to create the future of flight with the Learjet 85 aircraft.