Trenton Hangars: Innovation for a new fleet of aircraft

The Department of National Defence (DND) required world-class maintenance facilities to support its new fleet of strategic transport aircraft – long-range military planes capable of landing in remote airfields for military, humanitarian, and peacekeeping missions. This marked a new era for Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton.

To deliver this first-of-its-kind facility in Canada, Defence Construction Canada – DND’s Crown corporation partner – assembled a team of experts. Drawing on experience from 15 previous hangar projects, Kasian, in partnership with AtkinsRéalis and Jacobs Engineering, designed and delivered three new hangars at CFB Trenton.

Each facility’s design was tailored to the aircraft it would house, informed by standards from aircraft manufacturers and subcontractors. Hangar 1 accommodates various wing aircraft, including the CC-150 Polaris and CC-177 Globemaster III. Hangar 2 is dedicated to the CC-130J Hercules. Hangar 6 supports the CC-150, CC-177, and CC-117 Falcon aircraft.

Beyond aircraft housing, each hangar includes support workshops, administration areas, training facilities, and warehouses for part-storage. Meeting the spatial and operational needs of multiple stakeholders required close coordination with consultants across North America.

Various technical innovations highlight the operational effectiveness of the hangars and detail the complexity of the designs. Hangar 1 features two 60-by-19-metre vertical lift fabric doors chosen for their fast deployment, light transmittance, and durability – and has achieved LEED Gold Certification. All three hangars are equipped with an advanced overhead foam deluge fire-suppression systems, critical for aircraft of this scale. Custom-fabricated telescoping platforms and overhead cranes offer full airframe access for corrosion and control work.

These design strategies aligned with the Armed Forces’ Canada First Defence Strategy, resulting in 700,000 SF of state-of-the-art maintenance and servicing space that enables 8 Wing Trenton to continue moving personnel and supplies around the globe.