AEROSPACE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CONGRATULATES BRISTOL AEROSPACE ON ITS NEW
HIGH-TECH FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT

OTTAWA, Oct 7 /CNW/ - The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) congratulates Bristol Aerospace, a division of Magellan Aerospace Limited, for the construction of its new Advanced Composites Manufacturing Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This new, highly innovative facility will house material and equipment that will be used to perform state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing processes.

This equipment will provide Bristol Aerospace with innovative manufacturing capabilities that will allow the company to manufacture complex composite assemblies for the horizontal tail section of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.  The knowledge and capabilities developed in this context will be applied to other future major platforms - both civil and military. 

"This is a prime example of the kind of investment decisions Canadian companies must make in order to optimize their participation in the F-35 global supply chain. It is another demonstration that our companies are willing to compete and able to win high-quality work on the JSF platform," said Dr. Claude Lajeunesse, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIAC.

The Canadian Aerospace Industry ranks fifth in the world, and its world leadership in several sub-sectors is the envy of many nations. Thanks to outstanding capabilities and talents such as those demonstrated by Bristol Aerospace today, we are confident that Canadian companies will earn more than their "fair share" of high-quality work on this platform. "Access to the global supply chain of up to 5000 state-of-the-art aircraft represents an extraordinary opportunity for our nation to push the boundaries of innovation for the benefit of Canadians from coast-to-coast" Dr. Lajeunesse concluded.

The AIAC is the national association representing Canada's aerospace manufacturing and services sector. As the world's fifth largest aerospace industry, Canada's aerospace sector generated over $22 billion in 2009 and employed nearly 80,000 Canadians. Seventy-eight per cent of Canadian aerospace products were exported. AIAC represents the interests of 400 aerospace companies across Canada.

For further information:

Maryse Harvey,Vice-President Public Affairs, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, 613 760-4562, [email protected]