Quebec writes off $400 million of its investment in Airbus

Quebec Premier Francois Legault, speaks as Airbus Canada President Benoit Schultz,left, looks on at the Airbus A220 manufacturing facility in Mirabel, Que., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. The Quebec government is investing $410 million to increase production at the plant.. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Quebec has lost half the value of its investment in Airbus’s A220, formerly Bombardier’s CSeries.

Criticized by the opposition, the government is defending its intervention.

The government has reduced the value of the approximately $800 million it invested in the company, which operates a plant in Mirabel, by $400 million, Radio-Canada reported earlier on Wednesday.

• READ MORE: Quebec funnels another $413 million to Airbus A220 program

The opposition reacted to the news by criticizing the Legault government’s economic record.

Economy Minister Christine Fréchette defended the investment, pointing out that it had helped maintain “well-paid” jobs in Mirabel in the aerospace sector.

Since 2016, the government has injected nearly $2 billion into the CSeries, now known as the A220.

Quebec had lost nearly $1.3 billion invested in Bombardier by Philippe Couillard’s Liberal government.

The Legault government subsequently reinjected nearly $800 million into Airbus Canada to support the development of the A220.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 8, 2025.