PLATTSBURGH -- Bombardier Aerospace is considering moving assembly work for a new aircraft model from Canada and Northern Ireland to the United States.

The Bombardier Board of Directors recently allowed the Aerospace Division to offer formal sales proposals for its new CSeries aircraft

In a conference call afterward with the Toronto Globe and Mail, Bombardier Aerospace President Pierre Beaudoin revealed that the company is looking at the United States.

Mark Duschene of Bombardier Aerospace's Public Relations and Communication Department told the Press-Republican this week that the company is talking with some state and city officials in the United States.

"I can't deny or confirm who we are talking with about the CSeries."

A location at Montreal's Mirabel Airport remains the preferred assembly site, Duschene said.

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas plans to keep the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base property in the minds of Bombardier officials.

"While we're not able to discuss any particular opportunities or times, Bombardier is well aware of Plattsburgh International Airport, and we have had frequent conversations with them and expect to continue to do so," Douglas said.

A decision on whether to launch the CSeries is expected before the end of 2008, Duschene said.

The company will make the announcement about sites for parts and assembly once it decides to launch the program, he said. The decision to launch the new line would be based on obtaining enough orders for the aircraft.

The company originally proposed to perform cockpit and final assembly in the Montreal area and wing assembly at its facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

With the Canadian dollar having risen 20 to 30 percent against the U.S. dollar in the past few years, the company feels it needs to look at lower production costs in the United States.

According to the Globe and Mail, the Canadian, Quebec and British governments have agreed to provide $260 million, $110 million and $340 million, respectively, if the aircraft are assembled in Quebec and Northern Ireland.

The project is expected to create 2,500 jobs in the Montreal area and 2,000 in Belfast.

In a news release, Bombardier said the "CSeries aircraft family is specifically designed for the lower end of the 100-to-149-seat market segment, estimated at 5,900 aircraft -- $250 billion U.S. -- over the next 20 years. Bombardier's target is to capture half that market."