Dornier Picks Site For SeaStar

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The Globe And Mail published Friday that Dornier will on Monday announce that its 10-seat twin-inline-turboprop SeaStar will be built in Quebec. Dornier’s official announcement is not expected until 1:00 p.m. Monday at the company’s new factory in Saint Jean sur Richilieu, about 20 miles south of Montreal. The company has reportedly been considering either Quebec or North Bay, Ont. The $6 million amphibious aircraft has already earned 25 orders and building it is expected to create about 175 jobs for Dornier, plus 70 more at Pratt & Whitney Canada (which produces the aircraft’s powerplants). The SeaStar was FAA certified in the early 1990s but shelved due to financial trouble. Thanks to a $150 million investment from the Dornier family, the SeaStar program has been relaunched.

North Bay was considered a strong competitor because it is home to Canadore College’s aviation school, which theoretically could serve as a source of employees. Montreal has a strong aerospace sector, including Pratt & Whitney Canada and Bombardier Aerospace, which are among the 10 biggest research and design investors in Canada, according to Aeromontreal.ca.

Related Content:
SeaStar Video (NBAA, 2008)

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