QUESTION PERIOD — Transport
Air Traffic Safety
March 15, 2021
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative. NAV CANADA is proceeding with its studies to close air traffic control towers and flight service stations at airports all across the country as a way to deal, in part, with revenue losses related to COVID-19. At the same time, the company recently paid out $7 million in executive bonuses, as well as $30 million in severance costs, including to departing senior executives.
As Transport Canada tries to find a way to help NAV CANADA through its revenue crisis, can you tell us what your government is doing to ensure that any relief package for NAV CANADA is contingent on protecting air safety and service at regional airports across the country?
Thank you for your question. Again, your advance notice did allow me to inquire with the government. I’ve been advised as follows: NAV CANADA, which, as senators will appreciate, is an independent, not-for-profit organization, is undertaking several studies to assess level-of-service needs in various regions of this country. I’m advised, however, that no decision on these studies has yet been made. I’ve also been advised that any changes to the level of services proposed by NAV CANADA will be subject to a very rigorous safety assessment.
The process envisaged provides for full consultation with all effective stakeholders and no compromise on safety will be tolerated.
NAV CANADA has already made significant cuts to staff levels at its area control centres in places such as Edmonton and Gander, which control huge swaths of our northern airspace. Can you tell us what steps the government is taking now to ensure that we maintain safety and sovereignty over those airspaces, despite the staff reductions we’ve already seen.
Thank you for your question. As I said, the safety is absolutely fundamental in the processes that I described. As for sovereignty, Canada takes its sovereignty seriously, and the assertion of its sovereignty over all of its territory, airspace, coastal and land, and will continue to do so.
