The site of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada's new aircraft manufacturing facility will be in Wheatland County, Alberta, approximately 30 minutes east of Calgary. In February 2022, De Havilland Canada became the operating brand for the companies that previously operated as Longview Aviation, Viking Air, Pacific Sky Training and De Havilland Canada.

This new facility will be called De Havilland Field and will consist of an aircraft assembly facility, runway, parts manufacturing and distribution centres and maintenance repair and overhaul centre. In addition, educational space for training the workforce of the future is planned as well as general office buildings and a De Havilland Canada aircraft museum.

These operations will complement the company's current parts manufacturing facilities in Victoria, British Columbia as well as its new engineering and customer support centre of excellence in Toronto, Ontario.

De Havilland Field will be the site of final assembly for the DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft, which was launched earlier this year, the DHC-6 Twin Otter as well as the Dash 8-400 aircraft. The OEM is currently working towards bringing the DHC-6 Twin Otter and Dash 8-400 aircraft back into production.

The location gives access to a large, young and diverse labour pool in Alberta, family-friendly cost of living and a world-class international airport that can support efficient parts distribution to the company's global customer base. Once in full operation, the company anticipates employing up to 1,500 people.

The development of De Havilland Field is subject to an amendment to the Wheatland County Area Structure Plan as well as re-zoning by the County. De Havilland expects to submit these applications shortly and is committed to working with Wheatland County and its residents as it moves through the Area Structure Plan and re-zoning processes. In addition, there are approval processes required by Transport Canada and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

CEO Brian Chafe says: "De Havilland Field will be the home of assembly and production of reliable and rugged Canadian aircraft that serve missions around the world. This is the start of a new chapter for both De Havilland Canada and Canadian aerospace, and we are excited about beginning the process with Wheatland County to provide new aviation opportunities for Canada and Alberta."

Government of Canada minister of innovation, science and industry the hon François-Philippe Champagne adds: "Canada's aerospace sector is a cornerstone of our economy, and with world leading companies like De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, we're seeing even more growth. This new facility in Alberta will mean more Canadian jobs, greater economic opportunities and a brighter future for our country."