Analyst weighs strength of Wichita plant

? Wichita’s Bombardier Aerospace plant may be in jeopardy of closing after company officials said they were looking for ways to consolidate.

No clear consensus exists among analysts about which of Bombardier’s six plants are most at risk in a restructuring.

Canadian-based Bombardier cut more than 900 jobs last year in Wichita and has shut down production and furloughed 500 employees. It now employs about 2,200.

One factor weighing in Wichita’s favor is its location in the market for business jets. About 70 percent of the entire business jet fleet and 80 percent of the Wichita-built Learjet fleet is based in the United States.

“I think that you would be at a disadvantage strategically having no exposure to the states,” said Richard Stoneman, an analyst with Dundee Securities.

Without specific data on each plant, it’s difficult to fully assess which sites are most at risk, Stoneman said.