Being one of the most successful manufacturers of business jets worldwide, Bombardier started out in an entirely different industry. From snowmobiles to the railway industry and finally to the aviation industry.
From snowmobiles to the railway industry
The journey of Bombardier began with Joseph Armand Bombardier, whose motivation to help people travel in the snow-covered roads of the countryside of Quebec, Canada, led to the invention of the first practical snowmobile. In 1937, Joseph launched his first seven passenger B7 snowmobile and following the successful launch of the B7, he founded “L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée”, which manufactured the 12 passenger B12 snowmobile for ambulance, freight transportation, school transportation and mail delivery in Quebec. During the 1950s and 1959, Joseph developed and launched the Ski-Doo (originally Ski-Dog), an invention which made snowmobiles accessible to everyone, having a major commercial success in 1959.
Following the success of the snowmobile business and now under the leadership of Laurent Beaudoin, the son-in-law of Joseph Armand Bombardier, Bombardier entered the railway industry in 1970. This was after the successful acquisition of Lohnerwerke in Vienna, a manufacturer of motor scooters and trams, including the acquisition of its subsidiary, the engine manufacturer ROTAX. The company had its first major success in the railway business, following an agreement to manufacture 423 subway cars for the subway system of Montreal in 1974, and later a $1 billion contract to supply 825 subway cars for the New York City Transit Authority.
Moving into the Aviation Industry
In 1986, Bombardier entered the aviation industry with the acquisition of Canadair, one of Canada’s leading aircraft manufacturers at the time, producer of the Challenger wide-body business jet and the CL-215 amphibious firefighting aircraft. In 1989, Bombardier initiated the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) program. The CRJ100 entered service in 1992, followed by the CRJ700 in 2001, the CRJ900 in 2003, and the CRJ1000 in 2010.
The company acquired Learjet corporation in 1990 and Boeing’s de Havilland division in 1992, obtaining the famous Dash 8 and the Learjet series with the introduction of the Learjet 60 in 1993 (first flight in 1990). Following its successful accomplishments so far, the company initiated its development plans for an all new ultra long range aircraft, the Global Express business jet, offering non-stop flights from Montreal to Tokyo. The Global Express had its first flight in 1996 and entered service in 1999, what followed after was the Global Express XRS (6000), Global 5000, Global 5500, Global 6500, Global 7500 and the Global 8000 (one of the fastest business jets with Mach speed of 0.95).
In 2008, Bombardier launched the C Series commercial airliner, which took its first flight in 2013. In 2017, Bombardier partnered with Airbus to further develop the aircraft. Airbus assumed majority control in 2018, and Bombardier fully exited the program in 2020. The aircraft is now marketed as the Airbus A220.
Since joining the aviation industry, Bombardier has developed and produced some interesting aircraft in the aviation industry, specifically in the business jet sector. In 2022, the company initiated its new flagship, the Global 8000, an aircraft with the longest range of 8000 nautical miles and speeds of Mach 0.95, which entered service in December 2025. Bombardier launched the EcoJet research project, a research initiative aimed at developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainable aviation practices.
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