KELOWNA, British Columbia, 10 July 2013. Kelowna Flightcraft Limited in Kelowna, B.C., won a $15 million contract from Canada’s Department of National Defence to maintain and support the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-115 Buffalo and CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft fleets.
Under the contract, which will sustain 54 full-time jobs in Kelowna, Kelowna Flightcraft engineers will conduct third-level maintenance activities, including: depot-level in-depth inspection and major repair of items, component repair and overhaul, technical investigations, modification designs, manufacture and assembly of prototypes, and engineering support.
Canada's fleet of six CC-115 Buffalo airplanes is primarily used for search-and-rescue duties in Canada's west, while the fleet of four CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft support operations in Canada's north, including transport and search and rescue.
"These fleets are key to our Royal Canadian Air Force and its ability to carry out important missions such as critical search and rescue," says the Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Q.C., Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta - Richmond East. "This contract demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to ensuring our men and women in uniform continue to have well maintained equipment that is ready to support operations."
"Kelowna Flightcraft has established itself as a highly respected Canadian company within the aviation industry and is a cornerstone of our local economy," adds the Honourable Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country. "Our community welcomes the federal government's support of Kelowna Flightcraft, which provides well-paying, highly skilled jobs in the Okanagan."
The two-year contract with an optional one-year extension could reach $24.9 million in value, and will ensure that airworthiness of the fleets is supported and maintained.
This contract builds on the first Quadrennial Search and Rescue Review, which brings together federal, provincial, and territorial partners, as well as private sector and thousands of dedicated volunteers, to further boost Canada’s search and rescue system.
