De Havilland Canada and Avincis have signed an agreement aimed at strengthening maintenance support for CL-series waterbomber aircraft in Europe and Morocco.

Under the deal, Avincis will become one of De Havilland Canada’s key regional suppliers and partners for MRO services covering the CL-215, CL-215T, CL-415 and De Havilland Canadair 515 (DHC-515) aircraft.

The agreement will also see De Havilland Canada draw on Avincis’ engineering and certification expertise to develop supplemental type certificates, design work and obsolescence modifications for the CL aircraft family.

Alongside that activity, the companies said Avincis-led modification opportunities for waterbomber customers will be developed in partnership with De Havilland Canada and later incorporated into the OEM’s aftermarket parts catalogue.

To support the anticipated increase in work, Avincis is designing a new dedicated hangar precinct at Albacete airport in Spain, adding capacity for maintenance and modification activity.

John Boag, Avincis Group chief executive , said: “We are proud that De Havilland has chosen us as a partner for MRO and modifications in Europe and Morocco. This is a testament to our robust MRO network and capability in Europe where we are the largest provider of emergency aerial services.

“It also reflects the experience we have built up over 20 years of operating and maintaining the world’s largest fleet of 23 Canadairs.”

Brian Chafe, chief executive of De Havilland Canada, said: “We are very pleased to be working more closely with Avincis. They bring deep experience with the CL aircraft and have a strong presence in Europe, making them an excellent fit for us.

“This partnership strengthens our global network while helping us better support operators, advance our waterbomber fleet, and accelerate the introduction of select DHC-515 solutions to our CL-415 operators through this STC process.”

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