Bombardier, a Canadian company founded in 1942, employs more than 18,000 people globally and has an in-service fleet of more than 5,000 aircraft. Recognising the company’s expanding Australian footprint, the new office will be dedicated to Bombardier Defense customers.

The incident on Tuesday night saw flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, which was being operated by 9V-SWM (similar aircraft pictured), forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, including 56 Australians. Dozens of injuries and one death were reported.

The Minister for Defence confirmed the federal government has been tracking riots in the French territory as pro-independence activists fight against more than 1,000 French police and paramilitary personnel deployed under a major security operation to the Pacific archipelago east of Australia.

The stricken low-cost carrier had “played a key role in connecting regional hubs across the domestic network”, the competition watchdog noted in its latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report, as it tried to stimulate demand on routes not served by other airlines.