Additional Hangars, Maintenance Capacity Soon to Open In Wichita 

Bombardier is set to throw a little get-together celebrating their new Wichita Service Center. 

The area has grown considerably from the podunk, 4-hangar operation it began with. The Wichita, Kansas facility will be home to a "special celebration to outline the future of the site, which will also give the media chances to go through and highlight the multitude of job opportunities now in place. Bombardier said that they expected hundreds of jobs to be created or moved to the site within the next 5 years as they ramp up support for a widening series of aircraft models. Bombardier is allowing attendance to the special celebration on April 19th for accredited members of the media.

“The group of people has gone from 100 to 500, so it’s been a massive growth here in Wichita, as it has been throughout Bombardier. So, in the last 5 years, the aftermarket business or the maintenance and parts business overall has grown about 20-percent a year,” said Chris Debergh, vice president and general manager of OEM parts and services for Bombardier.

“Learjet in Wichita has been around for 40 to 50 years. They’ve been building business jets. So, there’s a really deep level of expertise and knowledge and pride that exists in the Wichita facility, which makes it unique,” said Debergh, referencing the local aeronautical landscape.

The region is famous for its place in aviation construction, and local leaders say Bombardier will fit in just fine. “Here in Wichita, we’re very much known for aviation manufacturing. That’s been our strength and what most people might think of,” said Tammy Porazka, vice president of business development for the Greater Wichita Partnership. They were excited to see the bolstered operational footprint of Bombardier, especially the economic impact of upscale bizjets making their way to the city with their well-heeled clientele. 

Porazka added that the company won't be alone in its services, as a big name has already moved in down the road. “We already have a strong service segment in our private aviation side. We have Textron, with their largest service center here in Wichita. We have Bombardier growing their service center and working on new platforms like the Global and the Challengers. We also have companies like Yingling and NCAS and Global Aviation Technologies. We already have so much strength in that area. Our growth opportunities lie in commercial and defense opportunities in a fast growing market.”

FMI: www.bombardier.com