Trump’s Bombardier threat puts more than 1,000 Kansas jobs in the spotlight
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President Donald Trump’s threat to block Bombardier aircraft sales in the United States is drawing growing concern in Kansas, where the Canadian aircraft maker employs more than 1,000 workers in Wichita.
Kansas state Sen. Stephen Owens, chairman of the Kansas Legislature’s Aviation Caucus, called Trump’s approach “all or nothing” and urged the president to reconsider.
Owens said Bombardier may be based in Canada, but the company has a significant American footprint centered in Wichita.
“Any federal action involving Bombardier will have real implications for Kansas workers, their families and our state’s aviation economy,” Owens said.
He called for the administration to work with Bombardier and give the company incentives to expand its U.S. operations, particularly in Wichita.
Trump said Sunday Bombardier should no longer be allowed to sell aircraft in the United States, arguing the company benefits heavily from American customers while Canada blocks some U.S. businesses. Trump said Bombardier must build more of its aircraft in the U.S. if it wants continued access to the American market.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran has also contacted the Trump administration, stressing Bombardier’s importance to the Wichita economy and saying he wants the company’s Kansas operations to grow.
