Viking Air has entered a deal to buy Bombardier’s three amphibious aircraft programmes.
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Now, as Viking nears completion of the 100th Twin Otter Series 400, it is revisiting the amphibious aircraft market and has acquired a 50,000-square-foot hangar near Calgary International Airport. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
“This acquisition expands Viking’s capabilities in product support and parts into another vital niche aviation segment, and ensures that a unique and important Canadian innovation stays in Canada”, David Curtis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viking, said in a statement.
Besides the Q400s, Bombardier does final assembly of the Global Express 5000 and 6000 business jets in Toronto.
A Bombardier CL-415 firefighting aircraft, also known as “Super Scooper” airplane, makes a drop on a wildfire in the San Gabriel Mountains in Asuza, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013.
By 2005, Viking already had a long history as a MRO supporting de Havilland utility aircraft and as a Bombardier subcontractor building spare parts for the Beaver and Otter and new wings for the Twin Otter. The agreement covers the Type Certificates for all variants of the aircraft, the CL-215, the CL-215T and the Bombardier 415 aircraft as well as after-market services.
Viking sells the rugged and versatile Twin Otter around the globe.
And while Shields says they haven’t heard how many jobs will be created at Viking Air, they’re ecstatic to hear more of their members will be headed back to work, “I’ll tell you what, even if it’s one, every job we create we’re happy”. However, the company has not yet manufactured any new aircraft since December 2015 when the company paused the project with changing future plans.
Bombardier BBD.A, +0.45% has concentrated a lot of its interest recently on its new CSeries traveler-aircraft plan, and earlier this season guaranteed a milestone purchase for approximately 125 of its simple-section planes from Delta Airlines Inc.
Subject to the approval of all required governmental and regulatory authorities, as well as fulfilment of other customary closing conditions, the deal is expected to close over the next few months. The worldwide fleet of 375 Specialized Aircraft is delivering outstanding dispatch reliability and is supported by Bombardier’s global customer services network.
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It also has manufacturing rights for all out-of-production de Havilland aircraft, including the DASH-7 regional airliner, a predecessor to Bombardier’s Q400 turboprop.
