Airbus Helicopters Canada and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) are expanding aircraft-maintenance training for Indigenous students in Saskatchewan through a donation of H135 equipment to SIIT’s Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre in Saskatoon. The package will initially support technician training linked to Canada’s Future Aircrew Training programme, which is introducing 19 H135 helicopters for Royal Canadian Air Force training.
The donated equipment includes H135 flight-control, fuel-system, main-gearbox and tail-unit training components, together with a portable Helionix Advanced Tool Simulator for avionics and cockpit instruction. It will give students practical access to systems associated with aircraft used in the aerospace industry.
SIIT is Canada’s largest credit-granting Indigenous post-secondary institution and Saskatchewan’s only provider of aircraft-maintenance-engineer training. About 90% of its alumni are Indigenous. The institution’s expanded aviation learning centre opened earlier this year, coinciding with its 50th anniversary.
The H135 equipment was previously used for the FAcT programme. Airbus delivered the first aircraft, designated CT-153 Juno, in June 2026, with the remaining helicopters scheduled for delivery through 2028. The fleet will be based at 15 Wing Southport with 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School.
Airbus Helicopters Canada President Dwayne Charette described the partnership as a way to build lasting training capability and create additional routes into Canada’s aerospace workforce. The initiative also supports the Industrial and Technological Benefits objectives associated with Canadian defence procurement.