Cascade Aerospace Wins 12-year Contract for Q400-MR Airtanker Maintenance in France

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- Cascade Aerospace Inc. has been awarded a 12-year contract effective October 2008 to provide operational line support and heavy maintenance services to the Government of France's civil protection agency, Department de la Direction de la Securite Civile (DDSC), for their Q400-MR Multi-Role Airtankers based at Marignane, France.

Cascade Aerospace built and delivered two Q400-MR Multi-Role Airtankers to the French government in 2005, to enable multi-role operations. DDSC use the aircraft for aerial fire control, and humanitarian and government missions in France and abroad. With three different aircraft configurations, the Q400-MR accommodates aerial fire control, all-cargo and all-passenger roles, and Cascade Aerospace owns the Supplemental Type Certificates related to each role.

"We are very pleased with Cascade's aircraft maintenance performance and the performance of the Q400-MR Multi-Role Airtankers during the past three years," says DDSC Base Commander, General Michel Razaire. "We have averaged 99.9 percent aircraft availability, which is very important in our type of operation."