KF Aerospace lands big deal
Photo: SkyAlyne
Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair, second from left, meets with the SkyAlyne team in Ottawa.
Kelowna’s KF Aerospace will continue to train Canadian military pilots for at least the next quarter century.
The company is one half of SkyAlyne, which on Wednesday was awarded an $11.2 billion contract to run the Future Aircrew Training program, also known as FAcT. It will reimagine training for the Royal Canadian Air Force, consolidating three aircrew training operations under SkyAlyne’s and Canada’s joint management.
The other half of SkyAlyne is CAE Canada, a Montreal-based aviation company. SkyAlyne was announced as the preferred bidder last summer.
“The vision for FAcT represents a unified effort from Canada’s finest minds and organizations,” KF Aerospace president and CEO Tracy Medve said in a press release. “We’re geared up to bring this vision to life with our truly Canadian expertise, working closely with Canada and the RCAF to usher in a new era of aircrew training.
“Our focus is beyond meeting today’s standards but shaping the future of aircrew readiness, creating new jobs and opportunities in communities across Canada.”
KF Aerospace and CAE currently deliver all phases of RCAF pilot training through the NATO Flying Training in Canada program managed by CAE, and the Contracted Flying Training and Support program managed by KF Aerospace.
Canada will acquire more than 70 training aircraft for the program, which will also include classroom instruction, simulator and flight training, as well as numerous on-site support activities for prospective RCAF pilots, air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators. The training will take place primarily in Manitoba and won’t begin until 2029.
FAcT is expected to create or maintain 3,400 jobs and contribute $405 million annually into Canada’s gross domestic product over the 25-year period.
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