Story ID: 
Bombardier Breaks Ground on Tianjin Maintenance Facility
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: The groundbreaking follows the signing of a definitive joint venture agreement with the Tianjin Airport Economic Area.
Word Count: 195
Bombardier broke on its first factory-owned business aircraft maintenance facility in Mainland China. The groundbreaking followed the signing of a definitive joint venture agreement with the Tianjin Airport Economic Area (TAEA). Bombardier and TAEA announced in November 2013 the signing of a letter of intent for a joint venture that would increase services in Mainland China, including the development of a maintenance facility in Tianjin. Bombardier and TAEA announced today that they have confirmed that agreement, paving way for construction to begin on an 8,897-sq-m (95,766-sq-ft) facility. The center, to open in the first half of 2017, will include hangar, office and back-shop space.

The new facility will support a Bombardier fleet in the Greater China region that has grown to 120 aircraft. It also augments Bombardier’s center in Singapore that opened a little more than a year ago. That facility already has serviced 150 aircraft and obtained authorizations from 10 countries. The most recent authorization was granted this month from India. Bombardier also has four authorized service facilities, along with regional support offices and parts depots, in the country. The company said it is continuing to explore possible locations for new customer support facilities.