Transportation in Canada 2020 - Overview Report

Air Transportation

Image - helicopter technicians

Highlights

  • The Government announced a total of $129.9 million to help with the health-care system's response to COVID-19, including up to $17.3 million to maintain air services supporting the movement of essential goods and services to remote and fly-in communities within the Territories
  • Amendments to the Secure Air Travel Act and Secure Air Travel Regulations came into force and passengers are now screened by the Government of Canada up to 72 hours prior to flight departure. This offers a more standardized, equitable, and efficient screening process
  • To kickstart the regulatory development for low-risk beyond the visual line-of-sight drone use, Transport Canada published a Notice of Proposed Amendment on April 23, 2020. This allows routine lower-risk beyond the visual line-of-sight drone use in Canada without the need for a Special Flight Operation Certificate, and expand the existing Part IX visual line of sight framework

Broad legislative, regulatory and program developments

During 2020, the pandemic led to a systemic contraction in air services due to the collapse in demand by users. This collapse had ramifications that cascaded throughout the entire air transportation supply chain, creating an unprecedented situation. Air carriers reduced the size and scope of their networks; airport authorities, which operate on a not-for-profit, user-pay basis, sought relief from their debt obligations; and NAV CANADA, also operating on a not-for-profit basis, had to raise its fees. 

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has put in place a number of financial support measures, such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), the Business Credit Availability Program and the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility, to assist all sectors of the economy.

The pandemic created particular challenges for Northern and remote communities, given their higher reliance on the air transportation industry due to their remoteness for the essential delivery of goods, services and connectivity. On April 14, 2020, the Prime Minister announced the Government of Canada was providing a total of $129.9 million, specifically, for Yukon ($18.4 million), Nunavut ($30.8 million) and the Northwest Territories ($23.4 million) to help with their health-care systems’ response to COVID-19, including up to $17.3 million to maintain air services supporting the movement of essential goods and services to remote and fly-in communities within the territories.

That aid was augmented on August 6, 2020, when the Minister, along with the Ministers of Northern Affairs and Indigenous Services, announced measures that became known as the Remote Air Services Program. The program works on the basis of bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories, the agreement establishes that it is the responsibilities of the provinces and territories to decide which air services receive funding to enable remote communities to receive continued access to essential services. The program’s support period began in July 2020, and was developed to be renewable every
six months, until its scheduled expiry at the end of December 2021. The program has a total federal contribution value of up to $173.1 million over 18 months, with a $75 million federal contribution created for July to December 2020.

For the air sector, in March 2020, the Government announced rent relief from March to December 2020 for the 21 airport authorities that have ground leases with the federal government, as well as comparable treatment for Ports Toronto, which operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

On November 8, 2020, the former Minister of Transport announced that the Government of Canada would develop a package of assistance for Canadian air carriers, airports and the aerospace sector, contingent on strict conditions to protect Canadians and the public interest, including air carriers issuing refunds for flights cancelled and the restoration of regional air services suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This commitment was repeated on November 30, 2020 in the Fall Economic Statement, which included a number of specific funding commitments, including those related to airports and regional service, as follows:

  • Up to $206 million over 2 years, starting in 2020-21, to the Regional Development Agencies for a new Regional Air Transportation Initiative to support regional air transportation
  • Additional funding of $186 million over 2 years, starting in 2021-22, for the Airports Capital Assistance Program to support small and regional airports in making critical investments in health and safety
  • Up to $500 million over 6 years, starting in 2020-21, to support large airports in making critical investments in safety, security and transit infrastructure
  • Extension of $229 million in additional rent relief to the 21 airport authorities that pay rent to the federal government, with comparable treatment for Ports Toronto, which operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to support continued operations of Canada’s major airports, and
  • $65 million in additional financial support to airport authorities in 2021-22 to help manage the financial implications of reduced air travel on airports

The year 2020 began on the heels of the second of the 2-phase implementation of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations coming into full force and effect.Footnote 1 The regulations are directed at enhancing consumer protection, one of the key priorities of Transportation 2030, the long-term federal policy vision for Canada’s transportation future that was announced in November 2016.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 placed an unforeseeable burden on that system as flights were delayed or cancelled as the demand for passenger air services collapsed in response to government imposed public health measures, including travel restrictions and mandatory isolation periods aimed at mitigating the deadly threat of the virus. Given the scope of the flight cancellations, air carriers offered vouchers instead of cash refunds in many cases.

On December 18, 2020, the Minister directed the agency to develop a new regulation on the issue of refunds to passengers. This regulation is to apply to future flights that are cancelled for reasons outside an air carrier’s control (such as a pandemic) and where it is not possible for the carrier to complete the passenger’s itinerary within a reasonable timeframe. The Minister indicated that the regulation should be fair and reasonable to passengers, and to the extent possible not impose an undue financial burden on air carriers that could lead to their insolvency. On December 21, 2020, the Agency launched a consultation to develop this regulation.

Developments enhancing efficiency and competitiveness

Under the Marketplace Frameworks Program, Transport Canada works to encourage transportation efficiency by fostering a competitive and viable air transportation industry, including its primary actors: air carriers, airports and NAV CANADA.

The department actively monitors to ensure market conditions are conducive to allowing opportunities for Canadian air carriers to be viable and to grow and compete in order to have domestic and international success, and for all of the airports that host them to promote the communities they serve, all on the basis of user pay. Occasions do arise, however, when public intervention is necessary, such as during 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, in June 2019, the Governor in Council had authorized the acquisition and merger of Canadian North Inc. by Bradley Air Services, then doing business as First Air, on public interest considerations upon recommendation of the Minister. Now operating under the trade name
Canadian North, the merged entity carried on business during 2020 as the dominant provider of air services to, from and within northern Canada albeit under certain terms and conditions with accountability to the Minister.

But as the pandemic ensued, Canadian North found it increasingly difficult to adhere to them and so sought temporary relief from some of them, which the Minister granted. At year end Canadian North was still operating under the exceptional relief granted by the Minister because of the poor demand conditions arising from the pandemic.

Also, in July 2019, Air Canada had proposed to acquire Transat A.T. Inc., subject to authorization from Canada, the European Commission and Mexico. In October 2019, the Minister deemed the proposed acquisition to have public interest impacts that warranted further consideration, including but not limited to an assessment of potential competition impacts by the federal Competition Bureau. In February 2020, the Commissioner of Competition presented the Minister with the bureau’s assessment.

The bureau’s competition assessment informed a broader public interest review that was undertaken and delivered by Transport Canada to the Minister in May 2020. At year end, Air Canada’s proposed acquisition of Transat was still being considered by the Minister, who under the merger provisions of the Canada Transportation Act is tasked with making a recommendation to the Governor in Council, which decides such matters for Canada.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Transport Canada worked closely with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), fellow member states, aviation industry stakeholders and other international organizations in the context of the ICAO Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force, which aims to provide global guidance for a safe, secure and sustainable restart and recovery of the aviation sector.

Developments enhancing safety and security

Transport Canada processes around 120,000 Civil Aviation services per year. In 2019, the department delivered:

  • 28,894 pilot or flight engineer licensing services
  • 955 air operator certificates
  • 7,790 aircraft registration requests
  • 101 air traffic controller licensing requests
  • 40,970 medical assessments
  • 32,436 drone pilot certificates issued
  • 3178 surveillance events
  • A total of 89 Canadian Aviation Documents were issued to new air cargo secure supply chain participants in 2020:
    • new companies or sites: 58
    • address changes: 14
    • CAD type changes: 8
    • company name changes: 9

Drones

To kick start the regulatory development for low-risk beyond the visual line-of-sight drone use, Transport Canada published a notice of proposed amendment on April 23, 2020. The objective of the notice is to enable routine lower-risk beyond the visual line-of-sight drones use in Canada without the need for a special flight operation certificate, and expand the existing Part IX visual line of sight framework. The scope of the notice covers lower risk operations, including:

  • delivering supplies to remote communities
  • first responder operations
  • natural resources, and
  • wildlife surveys and infrastructure inspection

The notice received about 230 comments from stakeholders following the written submission period. During the consultation period, Transport Canada also organized a series of targeted stakeholder presentations with groups of manufacturers, training providers, commercial and recreational users as well as the broader aviation community. Overall, the notice was received positively by stakeholders in the drone industry and generated discussion with the broader aviation community. These comments will be used to inform regulatory development with a fee proposal by early 2021 and a target
pre-publication of the regulations in Canada Gazette, Part I in fall 2021.

Transport Canada, NAV CANADA, and industry stakeholders have been working together since 2019 to develop a multi-year plan to develop a drone traffic management system in Canada. This involves launching specific trials to produce information that will help determine:

  • what Canada’s drone traffic management system will look like
  • what the minimum requirements for each part of the system will be, and
  • the equipment drones in Canada may need to carry for them to function safely within the overall system

The first phase of the airspace management trials, which includes exploring options to remotely identify drones to ensure accountability of drone operators, was launched in 2020. The data gathered from these trials will help develop performance standards and future regulations.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 and the Safer Skies Initiative

On January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down shortly after takeoff in Tehran, Iran. There were 176 passengers and crew on board. All were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Of the passengers who died in this tragedy, 55 were Canadian and many others had ties to Canada.

Following this tragedy, the Minister of Transport appeared before the International Civil Aviation Organization Council in March, June and November, to reiterate Canada’s expectations in regards to Iran’s Annex 13 Investigation Report, to request that Iran follow up on its commitment to transfer the flight and voice data recorders from Flight PS752, and to present the Safer Skies Initiative, calling for more action by the Council with a proposal for a concerted effort to further mitigate risks to civil aviation operations over or near conflict zones. This proposal was adopted by the Council.

Transport Canada is committed to implementing recommendations and lessons learned from the report of the special advisor for Canada’s ongoing response to the Ukraine International Airlines tragedy, including commemorating the lives of the victims and supporting their families, pursuing truth and accountability from Iran, and preventing future disasters through the Safer Skies Initiative. This includes creating a 24/7 Conflict Zone Information Office, an international consultative committee and an annual global forum to prevent future tragedies like PS752.

Centralized screening and coming into force of amendments to the Secure Air Travel Act

The Passenger Protect Program prevents people who could be a threat to national security from boarding a plane. The Program currently works with air carriers to screen passengers travelling to, from and within Canada.

On November 4, 2020, amendments to the Secure Air Travel Act and Secure Air Travel Regulations came into force for the Government of Canada to take over from air carriers the responsibility of screening passengers against the Secure Air Travel Act list. Passengers are now screened by the Government of Canada up to 72 hours prior to flight departure. This offers a more standardized, equitable, and efficient screening process.

Transport Canada is currently working with Public Safety Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to implement a phased approach to onboard over 100 commercial air carriers to the new and enhanced centralized screening model.

Boeing 737 MAX-8

Throughout the year, Transport Canada has continued their independent review of the Boeing 737 MAX, while working extensively with the US Federal Aviation Administration, as state of design of the aircraft, and other key certifying authorities, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, as well as the 3 Canadian operators of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and their pilot unions. The aircraft was involved in 2 tragic accidents:

  • the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October 29, 2018, and
  • the Ethiopian Airlines accident on March 10, 2018

The aircraft has been grounded in Canadian airspace since March 13, 2018.

Transport Canada continued an extensive review of the proposed design changes to the 737 MAX throughout 2020, accumulating in excess of 16,000 hours of review, which included extensive engineering evaluations as well as flight testing performed in late August. Canada was the first international regulator to complete validation flight testing of the 737 MAX incorporating the design changes implemented to address the causes of the 2 tragic accidents.

From September 14 to 22, 2020, Transport Canada participated in a Joint Operational Evaluation Board (JOEB), which is made up of representatives from global certification authorities. The board evaluated all proposed pilot training in support of B-737 MAX design changes and created harmonized training/operational findings among authorities. As a result of the JOEB, Transport Canada determined Canadian-unique training requirements that go beyond those of the FAA.

On November 18, 2020, the US Federal Aviation Administration released an airworthiness directive for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Through this directive, the administration mandated its approved changes be made to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and confirmed it could return to service in US airspace.

On December 17, 2020, Transport Canada aviation safety experts completed their independent review that involved a 22-month investigation, resulting in the validation of the design changes to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Validation of these changes means that these modifications can be incorporated on Canadian registered aircraft.

Transport Canada approved the revised training program for the 3 Canadian operators on December 21, 2020 and these airlines have trained their pilots accordingly for the return to service of the aircraft.

Aviation Safety Collaboration Forum

The Canadian Aviation Safety Collaboration Forum took place on January 14 and January 15, 2020. This annual event provides a platform for a range of aviation safety leaders to address challenges and opportunities facing the aviation industry and build on the previous year’s progress to increase safety collaboration.

The concept of a Transport Canada and industry sector level collaborative analysis groups was introduced at the event as a potential mechanism to work collaboratively through a Strategic Safety Risk Management process in the context of existing data protection limitations. Industry stakeholders at the forum supported undertaking a trial of the CAG concept which will focus on 705 operators. Formal structures and processes created as part of a groups are expected to facilitate transition to collaborative data sharing when appropriate regulatory protections are in place.

Transport Canada also hosted a breakout session on safety management systems, with industry stakeholders encouraged to participate and voice their thoughts and opinions on the current state of safety management systems in their industry. The session included 4 key parts:

  • a briefing on the evaluation of safety management systems in civil aviation
  • a briefing on the policy review by Civil Aviation
  • an introduction to the Safety Management International Collaboration Group, and
  • a Q&A session with all participants

General aviation safety campaign

In June 2017, Transport Canada launched the 3-year general aviation safety campaign to enhance aviation safety and reduce the number of accidents by sharing safety information with the recreational aviation community. With the end of the 3-year campaign, the general aviation safety campaign officially transitioned to a general aviation safety program in June 2020.

Transport Canada is in the process of establishing a Canadian General Aviation Joint Steering Committee to provide guidance and oversight to the general aviation safety program.

It will allow the committee to better align with our US counterpart working on a similar endeavor and with whom we collaborate on a regular basis. The committee’s tasks include:

  • guiding and overseeing the Canadian Safety Analysis Team
  • linking and aligning with the Federal Administration Aviation committee, and
  • approving a prioritized safety plan

Draft terms of reference for the program and committee have been developed with the intent to table these at the first meeting of the committee, which is scheduled for March 10, 2021.

Air-taxi campaign

The air-taxi sector has more accidents and more fatalities than all other sectors of commercial aviation in Canada.

In January 2020, Transport Canada engaged with key stakeholders in the air taxi sector at the Aviation Safety Collaboration Forum to discuss potential safety pillars of the initiative and the need for industry collaboration. It was determined that the reinforcement of a positive safety culture, the management of operational risk, and the empowerment of pilots will be the areas of focus. These areas may evolve based on the feedback and progress of the initial year of the campaign.

The air-taxi safety campaign, scheduled to launch in spring 2020 as part of Transport Canada’s response to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s recommendations A19-02 and A19-03, was postponed to Winter 2021. This 4-year safety campaign has the goal of identifying strategies that would lead to the reduction of accidents and incidents in the air-taxi industry by promoting a positive safety culture through safety promotion and awareness initiatives.

Commercialization of aviation security screening services

Budget 2019 announced the intention to transfer the delivery of airport security screening services that are currently provided by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, a Crown corporation, to an independent, not-for-profit entity. The federal government would continue to play an exclusive regulatory and oversight role for security screening services at Canadian airports. The enabling legislation, the Security Screening Services Commercialization Act, received royal assent on June 21, 2019.

Prior to COVID-19, the government was negotiating the sale of Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to the designated screening authority, a not-for-profit entity made up of representatives from airports and airlines. In March 2020, Transport Canada officials and the members of the designated screening authority agreed to put the sale on hold to allow both parties to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 on the air sector.

Preclearance

In 2020, the total level of US-bound passengers precleared by US Customs and Border Protection was down by over 90% compared to the previous year’s total (around 15 million).

The new bilateral agreement on Land, Rail, Marine and Air Transport Preclearance (2019) expanded preclearance to surface, rail and marine modes, and to new locations for the air mode. Expanding preclearance across all modes will facilitate faster travel between Canada and the US, provide access to more destinations, bolster trade, better protect rights, and increase border security. In addition to having significant impact on the air preclearance passenger numbers, COVID-19 related border restrictions stalled preclearance expansion efforts. Discussions with the US Customs and Border Protection are on-going to ensure both countries remain positioned to advance preclearance implementation while facilitating sector recovery efforts, when appropriate and safe.

Developments enhancing environmental protection

Transport Canada has been actively involved in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) development of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which is a carbon offsetting scheme that addresses the increase in international aviation emissions from 2020 onwards by requiring aircraft operators to acquire emission units on the open market to offset a portion of their greenhouse gas emissions on international flights. This applies to all types of operators (commercial, business, and private) that emit more than 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions on international flights from 2019 to 2035.

Transport Canada published in November 2018 regulations under the Aeronautics Act that set out monitoring, recording and verification requirements for all Canadian operators with regards to CO2e emissions. The data from operators would establish sector and individual emissions baselines to help determine offsetting obligations during the offsetting phase. In December 2020 Transport Canada published an update to the regulations under the Aeronautics Act to set out the offsetting and alternative fuels requirements of CORSIA, thus finalizing full implementation in Canada.

Transport Canada has also been supporting ICAO’s ACT-CORSIA program, which is the assistance capacity building and training program to support the global implementation of CORSIA. Transport Canada delivers capacity building sessions in requesting nations, focusing on the delivery of the program in French to Francophonie African states and in English to Caribbean states.

Transport Canada continues to work closely with Canadian air carriers to improve their environmental performance through Canada’s 2012-2020 Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation. The sector’s progress towards improving fuel efficiency is reported annually under this
Action Plan. The 2018 report was released in early 2020, and shows that Canadian air carriers have improved their fuel efficiency by 18 % between 2008 and 2018.

Other developments in the sector

Commercial space launches

On March 6, 2019, the Government of Canada announced Exploration, Imagination, Innovation: A New Space Strategy for Canada. The strategy commits the Government of Canada to review Canada’s legislative and regulatory framework for space activities to ensure they provide timely responses for industry, maintain strategic oversight for national security and enable commercial growth.

Transport Canada continues to work with Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Global Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence and other relevant government departments, to enable commercial space launch in Canada, and further advance the Strategy’s objectives.

Transport Canada has the authority through the Aeronautics Act and the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) to regulate rockets and launch vehicles destined for space from Canada, the use of domestic Canadian airspace, and the certification of aerodromes and spaceports. Transport Canada will continue to collaborate with our partners across government and engage with space industry proponents and stakeholders to ensure the compliance with licensing requirements, safety and security standards, and sustainability of this growing industry in Canada.

Runway end safety area

The Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Parts I, III and VI — RESA) were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on March 7, 2020 for consultation.

The amendments would require Canadian airports with an annual passenger volume of at least 325,000 passengers to extend their current runway end safety area from 60m to 150m at both ends of runways that serve scheduled commercial passenger-carrying flights. The proposal to extend to 150m was built on Canadian data demonstrating that 90% of excursions at Canadian airports are stopped within 150m. The amendments take into consideration the International Civil Aviation Organization’s standards, while addressing the intent of the recommendation made by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

A total of 31 comments from 9 stakeholders were received and the main themes raised in the comments reflected:

    • the financial challenges faced by airports due to the pandemic, and
    • the time constraints for the implementation

As a way forward, the comments received, the impacts of COVID-19, and the realities of reduced passenger volumes at Canadian airports will be considered for the final regulations.

NAV CANADA level of service changes

Transport Canada has been communicating with NAV CANADA regarding their proposed level of service changes at several sites.

This proposal is part of NAV CANADA’s efforts to review its level of service to some sites and adjust to traffic changes – efforts accelerated as a result of the major challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to any implementation of proposed level of service changes by NAV CANADA, Transport Canada must ensure that any reduction or termination of service proposed would not unacceptably increase the risk to aviation safety. As such, NAV CANADA is expected to submit aeronautical studies in 2021 to support their proposal.

At the conclusion of these studies, Transport Canada Civil Aviation experts will review each study to ensure that any reduction or termination of service proposed does not increase unnecessary risk to aviation safety.

Looking ahead, Canada plans to collaborate with other aviation authorities and safety and security partners to leverage their expertise, exchange best practices, and keep pace with innovation and technology. Transport Canada will continue to promote and strengthen the safety and security of the aviation system by enhancing domestic and international engagement and partnerships to modernize the air travel process and minimize technical barriers to trade.

COVID-19 and the aviation industry

Since the start of the pandemic, Transport Canada has worked closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, other government departments and agencies, and with industry to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the health and safety of the traveling public. This includes the publication of 34 Interim Orders respecting COVID-19 in the air sector during 2020, as well as guidance material to support industry in the implementation of various health measures. The mitigations introduced in the air sector include mandatory health checks, temperature screening and face masks for passengers and airport workers, as well as pre-departure COVID-19 testing for all travelers coming to Canada. A notice was also issued to funnel all inbound commercial and private flights carrying passengers to 4 airports in Canada.

Ongoing consultations with industry have shaped Transport Canada’s multi-layered approach to keep travelers, crew members and airport employees safe. As part of a national response effort, industry moved forward with implementing new cleaning and disinfection protocols, and improved air conditioning and filtration systems where necessary. Airports have also created new and enhanced facility practices to encourage physical distancing, such as installing plexiglas barriers at check-in and customer service counters, and clear signage and floor markings throughout the terminal. All this work has been done in alignment with the recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organization and other initiatives from like-minded states.

Following the implementation of Interim Orders beginning in April 2020, Transport Canada put in place a task force with the mandate to undertake administrative investigation and, if required, to take enforcement action against individuals and/or air carriers who do not respect their obligations under the Interim Orders. This task force is composed of existing Aviation Security Inspectors located in each region of the country.

In 2021, the federal Government will be working with the air sector to create protocols and conditions that would allow the sector to renew itself and return to being able to grow air services. In that regard, work announced by the Minister on November 8, 2020 to complete a package of assistance to the air carrier industry, including financial aid, will continue in 2021.

The federal Government will continue with the provinces and territories under the Remote Air Services Program to fund essential air services to small and remote communities that are reliant on air transportation for resupply, and which during the pandemic have not been able to independently support the economics for air services on a strict user pay basis.

Canada’s flight plan for navigating COVID-19

On August 14, 2020, the Minister of Transport released Canada’s Flight Plan for Navigating COVID-19.

Canada’s plan is the foundation for aligning Canada’s current and future efforts to address the safety impacts of COVID-19 on the aviation industry. It is a collaborative whole-of-government and industry action plan, which demonstrates the multi-layered system of measures that have been implemented to support public health, and align with international standards and best practices in aviation.

This means that travelers can expect to see multiple layers of protective and preventative measures while travelling to, from and within Canada including temperature checks, health checks, and face coverings. Knowing that every aspect of the travel journey, from departure to arrival, is being managed and considered carefully, should give the public confidence that aviation has strong mitigation measures to support public health.

It has also supported Canada’s aviation industry by setting a benchmark for all other measures implemented in the sector to ensure the safe and efficient movement of passengers and crew. Stakeholders can turn to Canada’s Flight Plan to align their public health measures with those being implemented across the country, as well as those recommended and required by the Government of Canada.

Canada’s Flight Plan uses the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce report and take-off guidance as a reference point to identify touch points, considerations and recommended practices to maximize the safety and biosecurity of air travel both in Canada and across the world.

Canada’s plan will be refined as Transport Canada learns more about COVID-19, and as guidance evolves at the local, provincial, national and international level.

COVID-19 regulatory exemptions

During 2020, around 120 COVID-related exemptions and about 80 non-COVID global and regional exemptions have been issued to provide relief to the aviation industry where it was assessed that these exemptions are in the public interest and are not likely to adversely affect aviation safety or security. Some examples of COVID-related exemptions that have been issued by Transport Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, include:

  • providing on-duty uniformed Canada Border Service Agency officers at certain Canadian aerodromes with an alternate means of compliance from the requirement to be temperature screened each time they enter a restricted area, in order to avoid a down-fall within operational efficiency relating to officers having to go through temperature screening multiple times per shift
  • providing a Canadian air operator with the temporary authority to extend the valid-to date of a pilot proficiency check and the annual training of any company pilot or person assigned to perform duties on-board an aircraft for an additional 90 consecutive days
  • allowing Canadian airport operators to extend the frequency period for recurrent live-fire drill training from every 12 months to a maximum of 30 months, and
  • allowing Canadian air carriers operating international medical evacuation flights to board persons without having to meet the requirements in the Interim Order Respecting Certain Requirements for Civil Aviation Due to COVID-19 when operating international medical evacuation flights (MEDEVAC) flights as defined in the Canadian Aviation Regulations
COVID-19 testing

The use of COVID-19 testing as a means to potentially shorten quarantine requirements and improve public confidence in the safety of travel, while protecting public health, is a critical step towards a gradual re-opening of borders.

Within Canada, both government and industry have taken proactive roles in establishing testing pilots at major airports and land crossings in order to collect evidence to assess the efficacy of testing for the eventual re-opening of borders.

These pilot projects examine the role of COVID-19 testing at various phases of the traveler’s journey, including pre-departure, on arrival, and post-arrival, to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 while travelling and after arrival.

Transport Canada is also involved with the International Civil Aviation Organization to develop standardized methods of reporting valid COVID-19 test results and vaccination status in order to facilitate restoration of air travel.

On December 31, 2020, the Minister of Transport announced that as of January 6, 2021, all air passengers, 5 years of age and older, are required to present a negative molecular COVID-19 test prior to boarding any international flight to Canada.

Travelers are required to provide written or electronic documentation showing they received a negative result from a COVID-19 test conducted within 72 hours prior to their scheduled boarding.