December 2014–January 2015 19 Canadian armed forces rely on numerous Boeing aircraft and defense products. “Canada is a strong military partner with NATO and the U.S., and the nation has repeatedly trusted Boeing to supply it with the advanced capabilities necessary to satisfy Canada’s diverse defense and humanitarian mission sets,” said Roberto Valla, regional director, Americas, International Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “Canadian aerospace companies also play a critical role in helping build and support Boeing Defense, Space & Security products.” In addition to the Commercial Airplanes Fabrication facility in Winnipeg, Boeing’s presence in Canada includes offices stretching from Montreal to Vancouver. Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen, which provides crew management and logistics software, has an office in Montreal. Subsidiary Aviall, the world’s largest diversified aircraft parts distributor, also has a site in Montreal and five other Canadian cities. AeroInfo Systems, part of Boeing’s Commercial Aviation Services business, has more than 200 employees in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond. The business is a key contributor to Boeing products and services, including the 787 GoldCare support program and Maintenance Performance Toolbox. AeroInfo’s Defence & Government Services group supports Boeing defense programs in Canada. “In Canada, you have a complete cross section of The Boeing Company and what we do,” said Shep Hill, president of Boeing International and senior vice president of Business Development and Strategy. “It’s a great example of our international expansion, our global strategy and our desire to be part of the fabric of the countries in which we do business.” Boeing generates more than $1 billion in annual economic activity in Canada, Hill noted. Under the Canadian government’s Industrial and Technological Benefits program, Boeing’s work with companies in Canada has generated more than $4.5 billion in business the past few years. Only the U.S. and Australia have more Boeing employees than Canada. And Canadian airlines are significant Boeing customers. Air Canada has ordered 61 MAX airplanes, while WestJet has ordered 65. As of early November, Air Canada also has taken delivery of its first five of 37 787 Dreamliners it has on order. And WestJet’s all-Boeing fleet now includes more than 100 Next-Generation 737s. WestJet, Air Canada and Air Canada’s low-fare carrier Rouge also fly 767 models, and Air Canada operates the 777-200LR (Longer Range) and 777-300ER (Extended Range) models for long-haul routes. Several smaller Canadian airlines, freight and charter carriers operate Boeing airplanes as well. As home to the majority of Boeing Canada employees, Winnipeg also is the company’s oldest site in the nation, having started in 1971 as an industrial participation investment in Canada. At first, the site manufactured various glass-fiber panels and interior components for Boeing’s airplanes, including the 707 and 727. During slower times in the commercial aviation industry, the factory produced acrylic bathtubs and military target systems. Today, the site is an “absolutely integral part of the production process within Commercial Airplanes,” Hill said. In total, the Winnipeg site is responsible for producing nearly 1,000 different composite parts and assemblies for all of Boeing’s current commercial airplane models, including wing-to-body fairings, engine strut fairings and landing gear doors. As a direct supplier for the 787 Dreamliner, the site is responsible for the design and manufacturing of wing-to-body fairings and main landing gear doors for that model. “Over our history, we have progressed from building pretty simple components into some of the toughest things Boeing makes,” said Rick Jensen, the site’s director of Communications, Community and Photo: Layup technician Minerva Cenidoza, foreground, lays up a 737 forward fairing part. Bo b Fer guson | Boe ing
Frontiers December 2014–January 2015 Issue
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