You might have missed the news that Canada held its hotly contested national elections this week, but you can be sure officials at Diamond Aircraft were paying close attention. The election results, after all, could have an impact on an all-important decision related to a $35 million government loan the beleaguered manufacturer says it needs to keep its D-Jet program — and possibly the company itself — alive.
The Canadian government is finally expected to make a ruling on the loan request now that voters have cast ballots in the election, which for weeks had put the Austrian-based aircraft maker squarely in the political spotlight. Diamond’s decision to layoff 213 workers at its London, Ontario, factory in the run up to the elections became a central campaign issue as Canada’s Liberal Party threw its strong support behind the company, saying the loan request would be a top priority if the party managed to win a majority.
