De Havilland getting up to $2.5B in federal financing to ramp up water bomber production
The up to $2.5 billion in federal financing for Canadair water bomber maker De Havilland will allow for a second assembly line in Alberta to make the iconic firefighting aircraft.
The Canadian government has pledged up to $2.5 billion in financing to De Havilland Canada, the maker of the iconic Canadair water bombers, to boost production of the firefighting aircraft. The funds will enable the company to establish a second assembly line in Alberta, nearly doubling production capacity to 20 planes per year.
De Havilland plans to use the money to hire new staff, invest in production facilities across Canada, and address supply chain challenges. The amphibious firefighting aircraft, known for their ability to suck up over 6,000 liters of water in 12 seconds, are currently the only planes of their kind in production, built specifically for water bombing purposes.
However, competition from companies such as Positive Aviation, Kepplair Evolution, and Hynaero of France, who are also developing water bombers, poses a threat to De Havilland's market share. The manufacturing process for the water bombers is largely hand-built, with an anticipated production rate of 10 to 20 planes per year.
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