Learjet

Learjet
Founded1962[1]
FounderBill Lear
Defunct2021
FateAcquired by Bombardier Aerospace in 1990, production ceased in 2021
HeadquartersWichita, Kansas
ParentBombardier Aviation (1990–2021)
SubsidiariesBrantly Helicopter Corporation (1966–1969)

Learjet was a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use based in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as Swiss American Aviation Corporation, it became a subsidiary of Canadian Bombardier Aerospace in 1990, which marketed the company’s aircraft as the "Bombardier Learjet Family". The 3,000th Learjet was delivered in June 2017.[2] The Learjet line was once sufficiently popular that the Learjet name became synonymous and interchangeable with the terms business jet or private jet in the popular vernacular.[3] In February 2021, Bombardier announced the end of production for all new Learjet aircraft in 2021, with the continuation of support and maintenance for aircraft currently in service.[4][3]

  1. ^ Bombardier Inc., Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ "Bombardier Marks Major Milestone with Delivery of 3,000th Learjet Aircraft Manufactured" (Press release). Bombardier. 2 Jun 2017.
  3. ^ a b Harper, Justin (March 12, 2021). "Goodbye to the original celebrity private jet". Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Victor, Jon (February 11, 2021). "Bombardier announces the elimination of 1,600 positions and end of the Learjet". Montreal.