As the largest commercial Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operation in Canada, KF Aerospace has built an enviable reputation since 1970, servicing major airlines, corporate fleets and military aircraft from around the world. That is until they all stopped flying during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 crisis really decimated the airlines,” says Grant Stevens, Vice President of Corporate Services. “Air Canada, WestJet and other customers were flying at 5% of their previous level. It was very, very difficult for them. I tell you, I’m really proud of the fact that four months into the pandemic, we still had all 1,100 employees working and getting paid full time.”

KF Aerospace employs about 800 people in BC, 200 in their newly expanded Hamilton, ON facility and about 100 at their flight training centre in Portage la Prairie, MB. In addition to aircraft engineering, maintenance and modifications, KF Aerospace also operates regular cargo charter services, leases aircrafts and operates a 22-year pilot training contract for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

“The government certainly helped us to financially weather the storm,” Stevens reports. “But we were able to maintain our staff by working with our customers to come up with some pretty innovative solutions to keep the work coming into the hangars, keep flying and to do the things needed to survive.”

“For example, we ended up with three passenger plane lease returns, so we are converting them over to cargo aircrafts. That’s where you take out the whole inside, put in a roller floor so you can move pallets of cargo around and install a big 10’ by 12’ cargo door. That’s one of the things we’ve been able to do.”

“We also talked to each airline and asked them, ‘Okay, what are your issues and what can we do to help you?’ We worked to give them more favourable rates and terms to incentivize them to bring their work in during the pandemic, rather than waiting until they got the green light to start flying again. That’s worked very well.”

“We believe it’s very important to have a strong feeder system into the aviation sector to make everybody that much better off in the long term. We do quite a bit of work with the colleges. We have strong partnerships with Okanagan College, Mohawk College in Hamilton and with Stephenson Aviation College, part of the Red River College group in Manitoba.”

“Okanagan College offers two different programs here in the Okanagan and one of their facilities is actually in one of our hangars. Students get an opportunity to work alongside us and see the work that happens right before their eyes. We have a real belief that home grown talent will stay home and I would guess that around 95% of students who graduate from these programs stay in the Okanagan Valley, which is a great thing.”

“I think there’s a strong future for aviation in the Okanagan, the Central Okanagan is home to about 18% of the province’s $1.8 billion aerospace sector.”

They say when one hangar door closes, another one opens. The Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp. (AEM) story began in 2009 when respected avionics company, Northern Airborne Technology, ceased business after thirty years. Employees saw an opportunity to purchase it and have since grown the new company AEM into a vertically integrated provider of specialty aviation solutions, and they’ve never looked back.

Today, AEM is an approved OEM supplier to aircraft manufacturers such as Bell, Boeing Rotorcraft, Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, and Embraer. Out of their 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Kelowna’s north end, more than 115 specialized people design, develop and manufacture avionics products for the aviation industry’s Special Mission sector – aerial law enforcement, aerial firefighting and aerial search and rescue. Products such as aircraft communication and loudspeaker systems, avionics consoles, mission radios, and caution/warning panels.

The growing business also develops, manufactures, sells, and supports Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM™) sensor technology and equipment, which help commercial airlines meet crack detection and inspection requirements for certain metal components of commercial airframes. Working in collaboration with Delta Air Lines and Boeing, CVM™ is the first FAA approved airframe crack detection compliance sensor solution for use on select B737 aircraft.

“We’re considered a small to medium sized business,” explains GM Taylor Wylie. “We operate in a niche market, so most of our products compete with only two or three key competitors. Our employees’ commitment to high standards and continuous improvement are instrumental in achieving a high level of customer satisfaction.”

“The aerospace industry has become a key economic driver in the region and Kelowna is an attractive place for emerging talent looking to develop their careers. We find that many non-local applicants want to move here because of the relaxed, vacation-style setting in a growing city full of opportunity.”