Mike Nadolski, Vice President Communications and Public Affairs, issued the following statement in response to today’s hearing before the United States International Trade Commission:

“We are very pleased with the evidence presented today by Bombardier, Delta, and others demonstrating that Boeing’s petition is an unfounded assault on airlines, the flying public, and the U.S. aerospace industry. That has been true since the start of the investigation, and recent developments make it even clearer.

Most significantly, the Bombardier and Airbus C Series partnership will include the construction of a new U.S. manufacturing facility in Alabama. This facility will provide U.S. airlines with a U.S.-built plane thereby eliminating any possibility of Boeing being harmed by imports.

Bombardier estimates that the new Alabama assembly line will add 400 to 500 direct jobs in the United States, along with thousands more indirect and induced U.S. jobs. It will also bring approximately $300 million in new foreign direct investment to the United States. These new U.S. jobs and investment are in addition to the 22,700 jobs already supported by Bombardier’s C Series through its U.S. supply base.

The Commission also heard clear evidence today that the C Series simply does not threaten Boeing. Boeing did not compete in the Delta campaign. It has not made a plane sized to Delta’s needs for many years, since it stopped producing the 717 and 737-600. Moreover, Boeing has acknowledged that it has oversold its 737 production capabilities and has a backlog of more than 4,300 aircraft orders.

Bombardier’s innovative spirit led us to create the C Series, which is more comfortable, reliable, fuel efficient, and environmentally friendly than anything else in the market. The U.S. flying public and U.S. airlines should not be precluded from enjoying these benefits, especially given the tremendous positive impact the C Series brings to the U.S. aerospace industry.”