Boeing won’t end dispute with Bombardier despite Liberal plan to buy used jets
OTTAWA — Boeing has weighed in on the Trudeau government’s plan to buy second-hand fighter jets from Australia, saying it respects the decision but has no intention of abandoning its trade dispute with Canadian rival Bombardier.
The U.S. aerospace giant was primed to sell 18 of its Super Hornet fighters at an estimated cost of $6 billion to temporarily augment Canada’s fleet of aging CF-18s until they can be replaced.
But the Liberals are scrapping that plan over Boeing’s fight with Bombardier and will announce next week its plan to buy used F-18s from Australia — despite having previously expressed reservations about buying old jets.
Boeing, noticeably silent in recent weeks as talk of the Australian fighters heated up in Ottawa, finally broke its silence Friday in a carefully worded statement.