Learjet began with Bill Lear’s late-1950s idea for a jet suited to personal and business travel. The first Learjet, the Model 23, made its maiden flight in Wichita in 1963 and was certified the following year. Over the next six decades, the company and its name passed through several owners, the aircraft line evolved through multiple generations, and production ended in 2021. Bombardier said it would continue supporting Learjets already in service, so the shutdown ended manufacturing—not the fleet’s immediate support.
What is the history of Learjet?
Learjet’s story is the evolution of an aircraft line that helped establish the business-jet category, alongside the story of a company whose ownership and corporate identity changed repeatedly. The line began with the Model 23, grew through models such as the 24, 25, 35, 55, 45 and 60, and ended with the Learjet 70 and 75. Bombardier ended production in 2021.
Who founded Learjet, and what inspired the first aircraft?
William P. “Bill” Lear pursued the idea of a jet-powered airplane for personal and business use beginning in 1959. The Swiss FFA P-16 fighter influenced the design: Lear’s son Bill Jr. flew its prototype while the family was living in Switzerland and reported favorably on it. Lear then recruited Dr. Hans Studer, the P-16’s designer, to work on a new aircraft called the SAAC-23. The P-16 was an influence, not an aircraft simply converted into a business jet. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum also records the P-16 connection and the start of development in 1959 (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum).
The Swiss American Airplane Corporation moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1962 and became Lear Jet Corporation. The aircraft took the name Learjet 23. Its development combined the Swiss design influence with a new purpose: a compact jet for private and business travel.
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What was the first Learjet?
The first production model was the Learjet 23. Its prototype, N801L, first flew on October 7, 1963, and received FAA certification on July 31, 1964. The Smithsonian’s collection record identifies N802L as the second Model 23 prototype and notes that it served as a test aircraft before being donated to the National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection record).
The Model 23 established the line’s distinctive appearance: a low fuselage, T-tail, and wing derived in part from the P-16 design, including tip tanks. The Model 24 followed, receiving certification in 1966 under transport-category standards; the Model 23 had been certified under the earlier small-airplane category. A Model 24’s 1966 round-the-world flight set or broke 18 international aviation records, a milestone in the line’s early reputation for performance (AOPA; Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum).
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How did Learjet’s aircraft generations change?
Learjet did not remain one unchanged design. The early Models 23, 24 and 25 established the family, while later models expanded and revised the product line over several decades. The progression included the 28/29, 35/36, 55, 31, 45, 60 and, at the end, the 70/75 series.
From the early 23, 24 and 25 to later performance-focused models
Models 23, 24 and 25 built the original Learjet family. Later, the 28, 35 and 55 broadened it. AOPA places the introduction of those models across 1977–1985 and notes speed and time-to-climb records associated with the line. The Smithsonian records five world records set by Neil Armstrong flying a Learjet 28 in 1979. These achievements contributed to Learjet’s engineering reputation, but they do not establish that every model was the fastest or best in its class.
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Under Bombardier, Learjet developed the Model 60 and the clean-sheet Model 45. The Model 60 was certified in 1993 under the existing Learjet type certificate. The Model 45 received certification under a new type certificate on September 22, 1997. AOPA describes both as larger-cabin aircraft in the Bombardier-era line.
The final 70 and 75 models
The Learjet 40/45 line preceded the final 70/75 series. The Learjet 75 became the last model produced at Wichita. Bombardier announced in February 2021 that production would end by the fourth quarter of that year, and the final Learjet 75 left the manufacturing facility before the line closed.
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Who owned Learjet over time?
The Learjet name endured through several changes in company control. Bill Lear’s departure did not end the business or the aircraft line.
| Period | Company and ownership change |
|---|---|
| 1964 | Lear Jet Corporation went public. |
| 1967 | Bill Lear sold his majority interest to Gates Rubber Company; the business became Gates Learjet. |
| 1969 | Bill Lear resigned from the company. |
| 1987 | Integrated Acquisition took over, and the company returned to the Learjet Corporation name. AOPA reports that it was based in Tucson, Arizona, for a time. |
| 1990 | Bombardier acquired Learjet and returned manufacturing to Wichita. |
The ownership sequence explains why references to Learjet can mean different things: Bill Lear’s original company, the aircraft brand, or the business under a later corporate owner.
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What happened to the Learjet 85?
The Learjet 85 was a proposed all-composite aircraft program. Two prototypes were built, but the program was cancelled. Peter G. Hamel and Gary D. Park’s technical history dates the cancellation to October 27, 2015; AOPA reported 2014. The difference reflects accounts published at different times, so the specific 2015 date is best attributed to the later technical history rather than treated as an uncontested date.
When did Learjet production end?
Bombardier announced in February 2021 that Learjet production would end by the fourth quarter of that year. The final Learjet 75 left the Wichita facility, ending aircraft manufacturing under the Learjet name. Bombardier said it would continue supporting aircraft already in service. That was a commitment made in 2021; it does not by itself establish today’s service locations, coverage, or commercial terms.
Reported production totals depend on the source and cutoff date. JETNET reported 3,043 aircraft built across six model classes in an account published March 5, 2021, before production had ended. Hamel and Park report 3,056 Learjets delivered by the line’s fourth-quarter 2021 end. The figures have different publication dates and scopes, so they should not be collapsed into one apparently definitive total.
Who owns Learjet now?
Bombardier acquired Learjet in 1990 and ended production in 2021. For a historical account, that identifies the final aircraft manufacturer and owner during the production shutdown. It does not settle the present-day status of the Learjet brand, service network, or support arrangements; those details can change and are not established by the 2021 production announcement.
Further reading
For a deeper technical and corporate account, Peter G. Hamel and Gary D. Park’s The Learjet History: Beginnings, Innovations and Utilization (Springer Nature, 2023) covers the company’s origins, aircraft, technical changes, records, special missions, and history through the end of production.
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