Porter Airlines and Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions (Smart AMS) have expanded their long-standing maintenance partnership with the establishment of a dedicated heavy aircraft maintenance operation at Ottawa International Airport (YOW), a move aimed at strengthening maintenance capabilities, improving operational efficiency and supporting the airline’s growing fleet.
The new collaboration will see Smart AMS operate a comprehensive heavy maintenance programme from Porter’s facilities in Ottawa, reinforcing the airport’s role as one of the airline’s key operational bases. The expanded maintenance presence is expected to enhance aircraft availability while supporting Porter’s long-term fleet growth strategy by bringing critical heavy maintenance activities closer to its operations.
By carrying out heavy maintenance in Ottawa, Porter Airlines expects to significantly reduce aircraft ferry flights to external maintenance facilities, resulting in lower operating costs, improved maintenance scheduling flexibility and faster aircraft turnaround. The arrangement will also provide the airline with greater control over spare parts, tooling and inventory management, while ensuring immediate access to technical support during both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events. The enhanced proximity of maintenance resources is expected to improve fleet reliability and minimise operational disruptions.
Brad Warren, Vice President, Maintenance and Engineering at Porter Airlines, said the expanded collaboration strengthens the airline’s maintenance capabilities while improving operational performance.
“This collaboration allows us to deepen our maintenance capabilities in Ottawa while working alongside a trusted partner. Having heavy maintenance capacity on site improves efficiency, minimises downtime and supports the continued reliability of our operations for passengers and crews alike,” he said.
Under the agreement, Smart AMS will retain full responsibility for managing and performing heavy maintenance activities at the Ottawa facility. The company will deploy a dedicated workforce comprising licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs), apprentices, stores personnel and technical records specialists to support the operation. The expansion is expected to create approximately 20 highly skilled aviation jobs initially, while contributing to the development of long-term technical expertise within Canada’s aerospace maintenance sector.
Mark Rinaldi, President of Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions, said Ottawa represents a strategically important location in the company’s long-term maintenance growth plans.
“Working closely with Porter allows us to grow responsibly, maintain our cost structure and expand our skilled workforce while delivering high-quality maintenance support to one of Canada’s leading airlines,” he said.
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In addition to supporting Porter Airlines, the new Ottawa operation will enable Smart AMS to optimise maintenance workloads across its broader network of facilities, freeing additional capacity at other maintenance bases to accommodate new airline customers as demand for heavy maintenance services continues to increase.
The expansion reflects a broader trend across the global MRO industry, where airlines are increasingly partnering with specialised maintenance providers to establish dedicated maintenance capabilities closer to their operational hubs. Such collaborations not only improve fleet availability and reduce aircraft downtime but also strengthen supply chain resilience, enhance maintenance planning and support more efficient utilisation of hangar capacity. As airlines continue to expand their fleets while facing growing maintenance demand and capacity constraints, strategically located heavy maintenance facilities are becoming an increasingly important component of long-term fleet support and operational resilience.
