Boeing plays down Bombardier dispute, still hopes to sell fighter jets to Canada
OTTAWA — A senior Boeing official says the U.S. aerospace giant’s trade dispute with Montreal-based rival Bombardier is a “company-to-company issue,” and that it still hopes to sell Super Hornet jets to Canada.
Leanne Caret, the head of Boeing’s multibillion-dollar defence and space division, made the comments on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show this week, where her company was snubbed by Canadian officials.
Members of the Canadian government met F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and other fighter jet makers in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, but refused to have any contact with Boeing.
Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains specifically cited Boeing’s complaints to the U.S. Commerce Department about Canadian rival Bombardier as the reason for the cold shoulder.