A local aerospace company was recently awarded a $30-million contract to maintain several of Canada's Search and rescue aircraft.

KF Aerospace, Kelowna's own aircraft maintenance company, has been maintaining the Royal Canadian Air Force's six Buffalo and four Twin Otter aircraft since it was first awarded the contract in 2009, but the contract expired this year.

The lucrative contract was put back up for bid by the federal government, and once again, KF Aerospace was chosen as the company for the job.

The maintenance of the military aircraft provides between 40 and 45 direct and indirect jobs for KF Aerospace employees.

“It's very good work, the mechanics that work on the aircraft here enjoy the DND (Department of National Defence) program and they're happy to hear that we won this extension to this contract,” said Troy Jaggard, program co-ordinator and planner for military aircraft maintenance program.

Jaggard was hired by KF Aerospace when the contract was originally awarded in 2009.

The new contract will carry through until 2021 for the Buffalo aircraft, when the 50-year-old planes will be retired, and until 2025 for the Twin Otters.

The Buffalo aircraft are primarily used by search and rescue and are based in Comox, while the Twin Otters are based in Yellowknife, and are primarily used for military transportation and occasionally search and rescue missions.