Canada’s Porter Airlines and Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions (AMS) are establishing a dedicated heavy aircraft maintenance operation at Ottawa International Airport.
Smart AMS will operate the heavy maintenance programme from Porter’s facilities at the airport, supporting the airline’s expanding fleet and strengthening maintenance capabilities at one of its key bases.
The operation is expected to create approximately 20 skilled jobs initially, including positions for licensed aircraft maintenance engineers, apprentices, stores personnel and technical records specialists.
Smart AMS will retain full responsibility for managing and carrying out the heavy maintenance work.
Locating the capability in Ottawa will allow Porter to reduce aircraft ferry time, improve maintenance scheduling flexibility and maintain greater control over spare parts, tooling and inventory.
On-site access to technical support, equipment and components is also expected to improve aircraft availability during scheduled work and unscheduled maintenance events.
Brad Warren, vice president, maintenance and engineering at Porter Airlines, said: “This collaboration allows us to deepen our maintenance capabilities in Ottawa while working alongside a trusted partner.
“Having heavy maintenance capacity on site improves efficiency, minimises downtime, and supports the continued reliability of our operations for passengers and crews alike.”
The Ottawa facility will also allow Smart AMS to redistribute work across its existing maintenance bases, releasing capacity to support additional third-party customers.
Mark Rinaldi, president of Smart AMS, said: “We see Ottawa as a strategically important location for the future of our heavy maintenance operations.
“Working closely with Porter allows us to grow responsibly, maintain our cost structure, and expand our skilled workforce while delivering high-quality maintenance support to one of Canada’s leading airlines.”
