William Crooks
Speakers from FLYING WHALES, joined by local and provincial representatives, respond to reporters’ questions following the announcement of the company’s new airship assembly facility near Sherbrooke Airport
Airship factory project takes flight
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
In a move hailed as transformative for the Eastern Townships and the province, Flying Whales announced on May 1 the official selection of Sherbrooke’s airport site in Cookshire-Eaton as the future home of its North American airship manufacturing facility.
The news was made public during the annual convention of the Quebec Air Transport Association at the Delta Hotel Sherbrooke, where company leaders, elected officials, and dignitaries from France and Québec gathered to unveil the company’s strategy and take questions from reporters.
According to a press release, the 50-hectare site near the Sherbrooke Airport will host the central assembly and testing hub for Flying Whales’ LCA60T rigid airships, which are designed to transport heavy cargo to remote areas. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first Quebec-built airships taking to the skies in 2029.
“This is the largest aeronautical cooperation project between France and Quebec,” said Vincent Guibout, CEO of Flying Whales and President of its Quebec subsidiary. “The Sherbrooke site will be a pillar of our North and South American operations.”
Guibout emphasized the region’s advantages, noting that “with a lifting capacity 15 times greater than a helicopter and an environmental footprint 10 times smaller, the LCA60T is an accelerator of the energy transition.”
The Quebec facility, which will mirror an existing one in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, is projected to create over 300 direct jobs and hundreds more indirectly. The initiative also promises $3 billion in export revenues across the Americas.
Funding and regional impact
To date, between $75 and $80 million has been invested in Flying Whales by Quebec, making the province its largest shareholder. “We are truly a Franco-Quebecois company,” Guibout said, highlighting that $150 million has already gone into research and development. Future funding will come from successive capital increases as the company advances toward maturity and a public offering.
Flying Whales Quebec’s airships are already in testing phases, with key components being built in Longueuil and by partners such as Thales Canada and Delastec. “All major systems are fabricated. We’re no longer talking about ideas in the air—this is concrete,” Guibout told the audience.
The Cookshire-Eaton site was selected over other finalists, including Trois-Rivières, following a rigorous process involving more than a dozen potential locations. “We’re entering exclusive negotiations with Sherbrooke and Cookshire-Eaton,” Guibout confirmed, crediting Investissement Québec for its early support.
Local leaders respond
Sherbrooke Mayor Évelyne Beaudin said the announcement marked the realization of a long-standing municipal goal: transforming the airport into a hub for industrial and technological development. “Flying Whales isn’t just a dream project—it’s becoming a reality,” she said. “And it’s going to have a regional impact far beyond Sherbrooke itself.”
She added that no municipal funds were required to secure the project. “We didn’t have to dig into our pockets,” she told reporters. “It was our site’s strengths—our workforce, our terrain, our innovation ecosystem—that made the difference.”
Cookshire-Eaton Mayor Mario Gendron echoed the sentiment, confirming that while Sherbrooke owns the land, both municipalities will collaborate on surrounding infrastructure. “Now that we’ve been chosen, we can work together to move this forward,” he said, noting the likely creation of a joint governance body to manage utilities and cost-sharing.
Robert G. Roy, prefect of the Haut-Saint-François RCM, highlighted the regional unity that helped land the project. “This kind of collaboration is one of our great strengths,” he said.
France–Québec cooperation
Camille Pauly, Deputy Consul General of France in Quebec, said the announcement reflects both nations’ commitment to sustainable innovation. “Flying Whales was recognized in France as a top tech startup in 2021,” she said. “This project is exactly the kind of bilateral initiative we need to support a low-carbon economy.”
The LCA60T airship has already attracted over 70 commercial agreements globally, with Québec expected to play a major role in future operations. Guibout said the aircraft will be especially useful in Canada’s North, where it can deliver wind turbine components, electrical infrastructure, and mining equipment to areas unreachable by road.
“Think of it like a new highway,” Guibout said. “Except it flies and produces a fraction of the carbon.”
What’s next
Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with production starting in Sherbrooke by the end of 2029. Until then, testing and certification will continue in France.
“Once we’re flying in Québec,” Guibout said, “we’ll be helping to solve some of the province’s most pressing logistical and environmental challenges—from mineral transport to clean energy deployment.”
The announcement was described as a major milestone not just for Flying Whales, but for the Townships. “Welcome home,” Beaudin said. “We’re proud to be the heart of your North American adventure.”