It’s a “game-changer” for De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, allowing it to ramp up production of its new water bomber and create more than 1,000 jobs in the country.

The Calgary-based company announced Friday it’s struck a financing agreement with Export Development Canada, a federal Crown corporation, and Ottawa.

Under the deal, the federal government and EDC will provide up to $2.5 billion in financing to De Havilland Canada to double production of its new Canadair 515 (DHC-515) amphibious firefighting aircraft, which is assembled in Calgary.

The move will allow the company to add a second production line and bring more of the new planes to market faster, adding jobs at its facilities in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

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“It’s super exciting for us. We know that the aircraft is in high demand around the world. We were sold out until about 2034,” Neil Sweeney, vice-president of corporate affairs for De Havilland Canada, said in an interview.

“This investment and this financing will allow us to produce aircraft and get them in the market as early as 2030, which is obviously huge for countries and customers around the world . . . This is a game-changer for our company.”

It’s expected the financing details will be finalized by the end of March, Sweeney said. “Once that’s in place, we’re going to immediately begin hiring new staff, and putting in place the building blocks to ramp up our production quickly.”

Two years ago, De Havilland announced it had concluded contract negotiations with several European customers to produce more than 20 of its new DHC-515 planes, an upgraded model of its “Super Scooper” Canadair CL-215 water bombers.

The older planes have been used around the world for decades, known for their ability to swoop down to oceans, rivers or........

© Calgary Herald