De Havilland Canada to build airline manufacturing plant

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. announced plans Wednesday to build a new aircraft manufacturing plant east of Calgary that could eventually employ up to 1,500 people.

The company said the facility, dubbed De Havilland Field, is to be located in Wheatland County between the communities of Chestermere and Strathmore. De Havilland said it has acquired about 600 hectares of land in the area.

It said construction could begin as early as next year, with its first buildings operational by 2025 — though the project's full buildout could take years.

"This is a huge day for our company and for our customers past, present and future who rely on us to keep our airplanes flying," CEO Brian Chafe said at a news conference in Calgary.