Toronto, November 8, 2021 – De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (“De Havilland Canada”) announced today that the company is completing the aircraft currently under production. The announcement follows the ratification on October 26, 2021 of collective agreement extensions by members of Unifor Locals 673 and 112 who work at the Downsview site in Toronto,
De Havilland Canada will also begin the process of decommissioning the facility following the sale of the Downsview lands by Bombardier to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board in 2018. The manufacturing equipment will be decommissioned and stored while De Havilland Canada reviews future production opportunities.
Our optimism for the future
De Havilland Canada maintains an optimistic outlook on its future and the future of the Dash 8 program and has stated publicly that it intends to be ready to meet new aircraft demand as the industry recovers from the pandemic. Our objective is to resume new aircraft production at a new site at the earliest possible time, subject to market demand. We believe that our upcoming pause in production is a responsible and prudent measure that reflects current industry conditions and will limit strain on the market and De Havilland Canada’s supply base as the pandemic recovery occurs.
Our leadership and sales teams are in active and ongoing discussions with customers and our commitment to the global community of Dash 8 operators is unchanged. We will be able to offer aircraft from our inventory and we will be proactively seeking new opportunities and investing in new product and service innovations to enhance the Dash 8 aircraft’s relevance to existing and new operators. In effect, we are seeking to stimulate the demand for Dash 8 aircraft. This demand is the prerequisite to new aircraft production.
Our July 15, 2021 announcement of our work with Pratt & Whitney Canada to integrate hybrid-electric propulsion technology into a Dash 8-100 flight demonstrator is further evidence of our commitment to build a long-term future for this aircraft program. Our aircraft are well known for their industry-leading credentials on sustainability, including fuel efficiency, low noise footprints and low carbon impact on the environment. We are excited about ongoing R&D efforts to decarbonize aviation and are participating in numerous investigations into the development of technologies and future aircraft designs that support the industry’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
De Havilland, Dash 8, Dash 8-100/200/300 and Dash 8-400 are trademarks of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited.
About De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited
With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada) is well established across the globe and our talented team of aviation professionals is dedicated to advancing our near-100-year reputation for excellence in innovation, production, and customer support. Our aircraft operate reliably in some of the world’s harshest climates and provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres – transporting essential cargo and millions of passengers annually. Our aircraft also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and coastal surveillance. Visit: https://dehavilland.com
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De Havilland Canada
Communications
communications@dehavilland.com
