LEARJET

Learjet, a business jet manufacturer for civilian and military use, is based in Wichita, Kansas and is owned by Bombardier Aviation. Founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as Swiss American Aviation Corporation, the company switched its focus to business jets with the development of the Learjet 23 in Wichita, Kansas. Since being acquired by Bombardier Aerospace in 1990, the company has been marketed as the “Bombardier Learjet Family.” In June 2017, the company delivered its 3,000th Learjet. In February 2021, Bombardier announced it would cease production of new Learjet aircraft, but will continue to support and maintain aircraft currently in service. The development of the first Learjets was based on the Swiss FFA P-16 fighter aircraft and its wing design and landing gear remained relatively unchanged. The company started building its first jet in Switzerland but moved tooling to Wichita, Kansas in 1962. The first Learjet 23 flew on October 7, 1963, and the first production model was delivered a year later. Lear Jet Industries Inc. was formed in 1966 after the Learjet became publicly owned. The company merged with Gates Aviation in 1987 and was eventually incorporated into Bombardier in 1990.