SkyAlyne And KF Aerospace Partner In Historic Purchase

Airbus Helicopters announced it has a contract with joint venture partners SkyAlyne and KF Aerospace for an order of 19 Airbus H135 helicopters intended to train the next generation of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots.

The contract is an element of the Canadian Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program and is the first time that Airbus helicopters will be flown by the Canadian Armed Forces.

The helicopters will include customizations with several Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) developed by Canada. These include custom cockpit modifications as well as other mods to the avionics suite and communications systems. The Airbus Helicopter facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, will perform the completions and deliveries of the twin-engine helicopters.

The contract includes 19 H135 aircraft as well as support and services package, support for the development of a Ground Based Training Solution, and advanced engineering support prior to the release to service.

 Kevin Lemke, SkyAlyne’s senior executive said, “SkyAlyne is excited at the successful conclusion of negotiations between our partners at KF Aerospace and Airbus Helicopters in Canada, and we extend our gratitude to everyone involved. Securing the Airbus H135 fleet for the RCAF is an important milestone for SkyAlyne and the FAcT program as it solidifies a core element of the program schedule.

“The selection of the state-of-the-art H135 from Airbus Helicopters contributes meaningfully to the Canadian economy and SkyAlyne is proud to be building a world-leading Pilot and Aircrew training program for the RCAF while supporting Canadian jobs.”

Dwayne Charette, President of Airbus Helicopters in Canada explained, “Entering into this partnership with SkyAlyne and the Department of National Defence is a historic moment for Airbus Helicopters in Canada. We thank the Royal Canadian Air Force for placing their trust in Airbus and the H135, joining 12 other militaries around the world that employ the twin-engine H135 to train future aviators. This contract marks Airbus Helicopters’ successful entry into the Canadian military market. As we celebrate 40 years of serving Canadian customers locally, we are honoured to contribute to the safety of Canadians for many years to come.”

FMI:  www.airbus.com/