Montreal-based Bombardier announced Friday morning that it will eliminate 2,500 jobs from its aviation division due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the company said “the majority” of the cuts will impact its Canadian manufacturing workforce. The bulk of Bombardier Aviation’s Canadian employees are based in Quebec.
The move comes amid a time of near-universal uncertainty throughout the aviation industry due to a dramatic, worldwide drop in global travel since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also comes just one day after the firm announced the temporary layoff of 196 employees working on its regional public transit operations in the Greater Toronto Area, citing a collapse in the use of those services.
Many of Bombardier’s operations in the commercial aviation industry have been winding down in recent months, with the company having sold off its remaining stake in the Airbus A220 program (formerly known as the Bombardier C-Series), as well as its Canadair Regional Jet program to Mitsubishi.
Bombardier says the 2,500 jobs will be eliminated “progressively throughout 2020.”