Bombardier Launching CA$100 Million Expansion in Montreal

Bombardier unveiled a CA$100 million ($72 million) expansion project that will add a 126,000-sq-ft manufacturing center to its existing facilities in Dorval, Quebec. Scheduled to open by the end of 2027, the newest center will be located near Bombardier’s Challenger manufacturing center, but the OEM has not yet detailed what activity the center would house. The center is part of the company’s long-term strategy to boost productivity and capacity to meet growing demand for its business jets.

To help support this expansion, Christine Fréchette, the minister of economy, innovation, and energy for the Montérégie region, announced a CA$35 million repayable loan from Investissement Québec’s ESSOR program. Managed by the government, the program was created to foster Quebec’s competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

“This major investment demonstrates our commitment to support Bombardier’s growth and build the infrastructure we need to maximize our productivity. As we expand our manufacturing capacity, we’re positioning ourselves to keep up with global demand and solidify our position at the top of the business aviation industry,” said David Murray, executive v-p of manufacturing, IT, and Bombardier Operational Excellence system.

Bombardier pointed to a PwC study it commissioned that found that the manufacturer contributed a total of CA$7.4 billion—direct, indirect, and induced—to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and helped spur nearly 50,000 jobs across the country, including 10,000 direct jobs in Quebec alone.

AINsight: Staying Connected Is Part of the Job

If you’re not thinking about your long-term career, you’re not behind. Most of us in business aviation are focused on the work in front of us. When things are running smoothly, and we’re happy on the job, there’s little reason to think beyond today.

What experience has shown me, however, is that career moments rarely announce themselves in advance. They arrive quietly, through a leadership change, the sale of an aircraft, or a reorganization you didn’t see coming.

Suddenly, questions you’ve never needed to ask feel urgent. Who do I know? Who would take my call? Where do I even start? That’s when staying connected, in small and very human ways, starts to matter.

This doesn’t require ambition or a carefully mapped career plan. Some of the most grounded aviation professionals I know would never describe themselves as “networkers.” They’re simply people who stay loosely connected to others around them. They answer a call. They stay curious about what’s happening beyond their immediate role.

When you stay connected to your peers and colleagues, you often hear what’s changing long before it becomes something you’re forced to react to. That awareness doesn’t just help your future. It helps you do your job better today.

Private-equity Buy Leads to Layoffs at Jepp ForeFlight

A number of employees of Jeppesen ForeFlight were laid off on Wednesday, according to former employees posting on social media sites LinkedIn and Reddit. Jeppesen ForeFlight is the new name for the company after private-equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired Boeing’s Digital Aviation Solutions business in November for $10.55 billion.

One Reddit comment, under the subhead “ForeFlight laid off 40-50% of its employees yesterday,” said: “With no warning, we were all fired yesterday morning via email. I would expect worsening service over the coming weeks and months, as many engineering teams who supported various features were simply removed with no opportunity for knowledge transfer.”

The claim that 40 to 50% of employees were laid off isn’t accurate, according to a ForeFlight statement provided to AIN: “Jeppesen ForeFlight made changes to streamline our operating model, which will support continued investment in product innovation and customer experience. While we are not sharing specific numbers, the current percentages being relayed through media are misleading and overstated. We are supporting all affected employees with severance, benefits, and resources to help them through this transition. Safety, reliability, and our customer commitments remain unchanged and remain our top priority.”

ForeFlight was founded in 2007 by Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller, and it was sold to Boeing in 2019 for an undisclosed amount. Boeing acquired Jeppesen in 2000.

ICAO Introduces New and Improved Volcanic Ash Forecast

ICAO has started providing an upgraded Quantitative Volcano Ash (QVA) forecast information service, offering greater analysis for aircraft operators. This includes forecasting how much ash is expected to be in the atmosphere rather than just its location.

The new service came into effect late last year. Two of nine specialist Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs)—London and Toulouse—will initially provide the upgraded QVA forecasts before a global rollout.

Eventually, all nine ICAO-designated VAACs worldwide will provide detailed forecasts using a combination of volcano data; satellite-based, ground-based, and aircraft observations; and forecasting models. ICAO recommends that all nine should issue QVA forecasts from Nov. 26, 2026. Conventional charts will continue to be provided in parallel until then.

The new service provides ash concentration and probability forecasts up to 60,000 feet in 5,000-foot layers. Data is provided in three-hour increments, and the service is provided free of charge to registered users. A NATS Aeronautical Information Circular explained that “QVA forecasts will provide higher resolution detail,” providing both a “single, specific forecast snapshot” alongside longer-term projections within the boundaries of an eruption.

The UK Met Office’s Matthew Hort said that operators now have the opportunity to “use certified engine susceptibility for flight-route planning,” which will lead to higher efficiency in accordance with safety management programs.

Wichita State Tops NSF Aerospace R&D Rankings

Wichita State University said it is a top performer in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey, reporting $392 million in research expenditures in the latest results, a 7% increase from the prior year’s $366 million.

Wichita State attributed its rise in the rankings to its National Institute for Aviation Research, citing programs including Missile Defense Agency Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, the U.S. Air Force B-1 BackBONE, and the Survivable Airborne Operations Center effort.

In the NSF field-by-field rankings, Wichita State reported ranking first in aerospace engineering research and development across all funding sources, totaling $350 million. The university also reported a number-two ranking in industry- and defense-funded engineering R&D at $283 million, and a number-nine ranking in engineering R&D from all funding sources at $360 million.

“The dedication and expertise of our researchers make these rankings possible,” Wichita State president Rick Muma said. “Our consistent performance in research rankings continues to attract top talent and strategic partnerships to our university and state, continuing to position Wichita State as an economic driver for the state.”

Photo of the Week

Hot hot, hot. Textron Aviation demo pilot Mark Mohler snapped this photo of a Cessna Citation Longitude at FBO/MRO Aero Centro, the aircraft manufacturer’s channel partner in Paraguay at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (SGAS). The business aviation industry views Latin America as a hot market poised for growth, with Signature Aviation announcing three new partner FBOs in Costa Rica over the past week and Daher Aircraft opening an office in Brazil late last year. Textron Aviation also has several partners, like Aero Centro, in the region. Thanks for sharing, Mark!

Keep them coming. If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.