Bombardier workers fear job losses as Trump threatens aircraft ban

US workers at Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier are growing increasingly concerned about their jobs after President Donald Trump threatened to ban the company’s aircraft, raising fears that his widening trade dispute with Canada could have consequences for American workers.

The concern is particularly strong in Wichita, Kansas, where Bombardier employs about 1,500 people, The Washington Post reported.

“This is ridiculous,” one employee told the newspaper. “We have thousands of Americans working here, and I don’t want to be thinking about losing my job.”

Trump issued the threat last week in a social media post, criticizing Bombardier’s products as not “good enough” and calling for more manufacturing to be moved to the United States.

“If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank,’” Trump wrote.

So far, the administration has taken no formal action to impose the threatened restrictions. The White House has also not specified what a potential ban would cover or which Bombardier operations it wants moved to the US.

Bombardier employs about 2,000 additional workers elsewhere in the United States and operates service centres in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Connecticut. The company also manufactures aircraft wings in Texas and flight-control components in California, while planning a new service centre in Indiana.

Final assembly of Bombardier's business jets takes place in Canada.

A longtime Bombardier engineer in Wichita told The Washington Post that the uncertainty was deeply concerning.

“I’m scared about what this might mean for my job and my family,” the engineer said.

“It’s tough to look at many other Americans working here who are also struggling and got caught up in this global mess,” the employee added.

Bombardier has sought to reassure its US workforce, highlighting the scale of its American operations in a public statement. A company spokesperson said there were no changes to its operations “at this time.”

The threat has caused unease in Wichita, a major US aviation manufacturing hub that brands itself the “Air Capital of the World.”

Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell, a Republican, said a ban could “be devastating to Bombardier” and result in a “huge loss” for the region.

“It’s rare that I go against the president in my comments,” Howell said. “But no, he’s not perfect. And I think that this is one of those things where I’m just shocked that he wanted to wade into this, because I don’t think it’s helping.”

Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas has also contacted the White House, urging Bombardier to increase its Wichita workforce to more than 3,000 employees.

“America buys more than half of what Bombardier sells. If that’s the market, more of those planes should be built here,” Marshall said.

Bombardier has deep ties to Wichita. The company acquired the Learjet brand in 1990 and maintained Learjet production in the city until ending manufacturing there in 2022.

Its remaining Kansas operations include aircraft maintenance, testing and engineering work.

The company also has a significant manufacturing and service presence elsewhere in the United States, underscoring the close integration between the US and Canadian aerospace industries.

Aircraft and components frequently cross the US-Canada border during production, making the industry particularly vulnerable to disruptions caused by tariffs or trade restrictions.

Trump made a similar threat in January, saying he could revoke certifications for some Bombardier jets and impose a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aircraft. Those measures were not implemented.

For Bombardier workers in Wichita, the latest threat has nevertheless revived concerns about whether a trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa could ultimately put American jobs at risk.

With IANS inputs