De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has announced that it has selected Wheatland County, near Calgary, for its new aircraft manufacturing facility.
The new facility, called De Havilland Field, will consist of a new aircraft assembly facility, runway, and parts manufacturing and distribution centers. The factory will also include a maintenance repair and overhaul center, the manufacturer said in a statement released on September 21, 2022.
The manufacturing site will be dedicated to the final assembly some De Havilland aircraft models, such as the Dash 8-400 regional turboprop, the DHC-6 Twin Otter utility aircraft and the new DHC-515 amphibious water bomber.
“We are currently working towards bringing the DHC-6 Twin Otter and Dash 8-400 aircraft back into production,” the planemaker said.
De Havilland anticipates that the new manufacturing facility will support up to 1,500 new jobs for local communities. In addition, the company also expects to open some general office buildings and an educational space for staff training and a De Havilland Canada aircraft museum.
As of September 2022, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada runs two parts manufacturing facilities, including a unit in Victoria and another one in British Columbia, and operates a single engineering and customer support center in Toronto.