De Havilland Canada selects Wheatland County as home for new Alberta aircraft manufacturing facility
De Havilland Canada announced today that the site of its new aircraft facility will be in Wheatland County, Alberta.
The 1500-acre location, De Havilland Field, will consist of a state-of-the-art aircraft assembly facility, runway, parts manufacturing and distribution centres, and a maintenance, repair and overhaul centre. The site will also be home to an educational space for training the workforce of the future as well as general office buildings and a De Havilland aircraft museum.
De Havilland Field will also be the site of final assembly for the DHC-515 firefighter aircraft, which was launched earlier this year, the DHC-6 Twin Otter, and the Dash 8-400 aircraft, which the company continues to evaluate when to bring back into production.
Construction is expected to commence in early 2024 and is estimated to create several hundred construction jobs. It is anticipated that there will be up to 1500 jobs located at De Havilland Field with potentially more based on the growth of the company.
“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. We are excited about beginning the process with Wheatland County to provide new aviation opportunities for Canada and Alberta,” said Brian Chafe, President and CEO, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited.
“Invest Alberta has been working closely with De Havilland Canada since 2021, showcasing the many advantages that rural Alberta offers for international investment. We are excited that Wheatland County was selected for De Havilland Field, a stateof-the-art aircraft manufacturing facility. This demonstrates that Alberta continues to be the location of choice for new investments and opportunities in aerospace and logistics,” added Rick Christiaanse, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Alberta.
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.