Longview Consolidates Aircraft Capabilities

Longview acquired the De Havilland Dash 8 program in 2019 from fellow Canadian company Bombardier.
Credit: De Havilland

Maintenance, production and other aviation activities of Longview Aviation Capital have been brought together under the De Havilland Aircraft of Canada brand.

Longview acquired the De Havilland Dash 8 program in 2019 from fellow Canadian company Bombardier, under which the turboprop was known as the Q400.

In November, Longview said it would decommission its Downsview production facility for the Dash 8 in Toronto.

While it hoped to resume new aircraft production at some point, it said “the upcoming pause in production is a responsible and prudent measure that reflects current industry conditions and will limit strain on the market and De Havilland Canada’s supply base as the pandemic recovery occurs”.

Aviation Week forecasts that Dash 8 maintenance services will be worth around $565 million over the next 10 years, peaking at roughly $85 million in 2030.

De Havilland Canada, Pacific Sky Training, Longview Aviation and Viking Air are the subsidiaries to be consolidated under the single brand.

Of these, Viking is the type certificate holder for all out-of-production De Havilland aircraft, including the DCH-1 to DHC-7.

It also offers full aircraft MRO services on these aircraft, spares support as well as piston-to-turbine conversions for Beaver (DHC-2) and Otter (DHC-3) aircraft, to equip them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines. 

Taking overall charge of Viking and other Longview aviation companies is Brian Chafe, the newly appointed chief executive of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada.

Chafe brings relevant experience as he was previously CEO of diversified aerospace company PAL Group. Its activities included PAL Aerospace Services Aircraft Maintenance, an Abu Dhabi-based full-service provider focused on special missions aircraft.  

“De Havilland Canada’s products are unrivalled in the regional and utility turboprop segment of the industry and that is the product of its talented team of aviation professionals,” said Chafe.

“This foundation is why I am so bullish on our ability to lead the growth of the aerospace sector in Canada as the world economy rebounds from the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Alex Derber

Alex Derber, a UK-based aviation journalist, is editor of the Engine Yearbook and a contributor to Aviation Week and Inside MRO.