More than a decade after the closure of Aveos, the Legault government is providing $9 million in funding to an Air Canada supplier to establish an aircraft maintenance center at Mirabel.

• Also read: Air Canada appeals Aveos verdict

• Also read: Towards a more modest ‘centre of excellence’ for the A220

Avianor, a subsidiary of the Drakkar Group, plans to open a more than $70 million “center of excellence” in fall 2024 for extensive maintenance of Airbus A220 aircraft.

Quebec will provide Avianor with a $9 million loan to complete the project. The company does not have to repay part of the loan if it meets certain undisclosed conditions.

Sudden closing

Recall that Quebec-based aircraft maintenance services provider Aveos abruptly closed its doors in 2012 after Air Canada decided to award maintenance contracts to companies based outside of Canada. About 2,600 workers, including 1,800 in Quebec, lost their jobs.

In the summer of 2012, the Quebec government filed a lawsuit against Air Canada for failing to meet its federal obligations to maintain its aircraft in the country. However, they dropped this in 2016, wanting to place an order for 45 Bombardier C-Series (now A220) aircraft.

“The two governments were collaborating with a banned company to the detriment of workers,” said former Aveos workers’ union leader Jean Poirier.

Ten times fewer jobs

When the contract awarded to Bombardier was announced, Air Canada Airlines committed to help create a “centre of excellence” for heavy maintenance on the A220 aircraft. Then Economy Minister Dominique Anglade argued that this center could lead to the creation of around 1,000 jobs.

When Air Canada selected Avianor to service its A220 aircraft in February 2020, company spokeswoman Rosalie Côté told The Canadian Press, “That means several hundred jobs, even up to 1,000 jobs.”

Eventually it will be almost ten times less. The future center “will allow the creation of more than 100 highly specialized jobs,” Avianor said in a statement on Tuesday.

The new 105,000 square meter hangar that the company will build will be half the size of the 250,000 square meter planned for 2020.

The new facilities will continue to allow Avianor to increase the number of its maintenance lines at Mirabel from three to seven.

The company’s “real estate partner” for this project will be the Mach Group, controlled by businessman Vincent Chiara.

“I’m very happy for the workers and for Avianor,” said Mr Poirier. This is work that will stay in Quebec.”