D-Diamond Aircraft confirmed on the weekend that its five-passenger D-Jet will be built at its London, Ont., facilities after the Canadian government announced it was giving the company a $19.6 million strategic, repayable investment. The money is being provided under a new aerospace business incentive program. This investment will play a vital role in enabling our company to complete the final development, flight testing and certification of the D-Jet, and to complete our transition to production, said Peter Maurer, president of Diamond Aircraft Industries. There is already tremendous demand for this new aircraft. The Ontario government earlier chipped in $11 million. Diamond did the research and development for the D-Jet in London and says it cost the company $95.2 million. The first type-conforming D-Jet has been flying since last November and certification testing is under way. About 500 people will likely be employed building the D-Jet in a factory thats expected to cost at least $100 million.
