De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited 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.

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. Its objective is to resume new aircraft production at a new site at the earliest possible time, subject to market demand. The company believes that the 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.

Leadership and sales teams are in active and ongoing discussions with customers and commitment to the global community of Dash 8 operators is unchanged. The company will be able to offer aircraft from inventory and 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, it is seeking to stimulate the demand for Dash 8 aircraft. This demand is the prerequisite to new aircraft production.

Our July 15, 2021 announcement of work with Pratt & Whitney Canada to integrate hybrid-electric propulsion technology into a Dash 8-100 flight demonstrator is further evidence of De Havilland’s commitment to building a long-term future for this aircraft programme. Its 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 decarbonise 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“.

Toronto, November 8, 2021