300 Aveos Montreal Jobs to be Saved by AJ Walter Aviation

Air Canada moved their airframe maintenance business elsewhere in March putting 2,400 Aveos workers out of a job

300 airline jobs in Montreal appear to have been saved by a UK aviation firm that has stepped up to buy Aveos Aviation.

Aveos was shut down without notice in March of this year putting 2,400 employees out of work. Aveos did contract work for Air Canada but that came to an end when the Canadian carrier moved their work elsewhere.

Now, for at least some of those who lost their jobs, it looks like they will get work.

“I was expecting that news. It’s good news. I’m so happy,” said Richard Guay, president of Local 1751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

AJ Walter announced Thursday it had signed an asset purchase agreement to buy the component-maintenance business, the most coveted of the Aveos operations.

Terms were not disclosed.

“We plan to safeguard an outstanding facility and talent base that will take fresh heart from AJW’s entrepreneurial ethos,” company president Christopher Whiteside declared in a statement.

AJ Walter is an established company and has offices in London, Miami, Singapore and Dubai. They do work for more than 800 airlines and have annual sales of more than $400 million.

AJ Walter said it plans to establish the Montreal facility as its new global headquarters for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft components.

Workers could be returning to work as early as next month.

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