Ottawa, ON, March 13, 2023 – Jeff Morrison, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC), which represents Canada’s largest air carriers (Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet), issued the following statement regarding the release of report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities (TRAN) entitled “Addressing Labour Shortages in the Canadian Transportation Sector”:

“The ability for the aviation sector to fully recover in the short term, and meet the growth in demand for air travel in the longer term includes the ability of our airlines and other aviation ecosystem stakeholders to attract and retain qualified workers to support the return to travel as more Canadians return to the skies following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As the Government of Canada prepares to deliver its 2023 federal Budget, Canada’s airlines are calling on the government to implement the recommendations issued by the Transport Committee, not only regarding labour shortages, but also those recently published regarding airport infrastructure.

“Canada’s airlines support the Committee’s recommendations to develop funding programs to support the training of future airline pilots, and breaking down barriers to careers in transportation for groups traditionally underrepresented in the sector, including Indigenous people, women, youth, and new Canadians.

“Other important recommendations include calling on the federal government to take immediate action to process all Transport Canada licensing and certifications to eliminate the backlog of applicants waiting to enter the labour market, and for the federal government to consider the infrastructure needs of gateway communities.  Canada’s airlines have been calling for the elimination of the certification backlog for a number of years.

“While this report is welcome news for the aviation industry, and contains several important recommendations that could strengthen Canadian air travel, Canada’s airlines want to see words translated into action.

“Canada’s airlines are calling on the Government of Canada to implement the Committee’s recommendations in the upcoming federal budget, as well as respond to this Committee’s recent recommendations to increase investment in airport infrastructure, and committing to a review of all third-party fees and charges imposed on Canadian airlines and travellers.  Against a backdrop of an increasing movement around the world to reduce emissions in the transportation sector, we also urge the federal government to meaningfully invest in the tools needed to create a market for sustainable aviation fuel.”

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About the National Airlines Council of Canada:

The National Airlines Council of Canada represents Canada’s largest national and international passenger air carriers:  Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet.  It promotes safe, sustainable, accessible and competitive air travel by advocating for the development of policies, regulations and legislation to foster a world-class transportation system.  Pre-pandemic our members collectively carried over 80 million passengers annually, directly employed over 60,000 people and served as a critical component of Canada’s overall air transport and tourism sector, which supported more than 630,000 jobs.

 

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