Table of Contents
- 1. Overview of the program, operating context and environment
- 2. Considerations and drivers for oversight activities priorities
- 3. Oversight delivery in 2023-24
- 4. Organizational contact information
1. Overview of the program, operating context and environment
Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Branch oversees everything connected with aeronautics. We support a safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible air transportation system through our regulatory framework. The branch delivers the Aviation Safety Program and makes sure the aviation industry complies with Canadian regulations through the following core activities:
- regulatory authorizations: certification and licensing by making sure that people, organizations, and products comply with Canada’s regulations.
- surveillance: risk-based, planned, and reactive oversight activities
- enforcement and investigations
- education, outreach, and awareness
- overseeing safety management systems
Operating context
The Civil Aviation Branch supports and promotes aviation safety through our national Aviation Safety Program. We’re responsible for overseeing:
- Air Navigation Services, operated by NAV CANADA, which is the largest single air navigation service provider in the world.
- 15,000,000 square kilometers of airspace, managed by NAV CANADA
- Canada’s aerospace design and manufacturing industry
- 37,290 Canadian registered aircraft
- 25,007 licensed pilots
- 16,234 aircraft maintenance engineers
- 373 approved check pilots
- 85 design approval representatives
- 2,060 active enterprises
- 1,781 air carriers (36.65% Canadian, 63% foreign)
- 861 approved maintenance organizations
- 554 certified aerodromes (airports and heliports)
- 114,444 registered drones (20% increase from last year)
In the last year, we also issued:
- 95,097 Basic Pilots Certificates for drones (23% increase from last year)
- 12,095 Advanced Pilots Certificates for drones (29% increase from last year)
Transportation 2030: A Strategic Plan for the Future of Transportation in Canada is our roadmap towards a safe, secure, green, innovative, and connected transportation system that supports:
- trade corridors to global market and Canada’s economic growth
- green and innovative transportation
- Canada’s middle class and their well-being
Key changes in the external operating environment
Until mid-2021, Canada’s pandemic recovery was slow, but by the end of the year, passenger numbers strengthened. The relative size of the domestic market didn’t significantly impact the recovery speed. Other factors, like vaccination rates and general economic conditions, also played a role. Travel restrictions and pandemic-related challenges influenced recovery.
Delays in medical assessments, supply chain issues, rising costs, and labor shortages impact financial stability and operational efficiency. Extensions for scheduled maintenance items were granted due to parts availability issues. Rising costs (labor, parts, fuel) may affect operators with tight margins.
Recent years continue to see a rapid rate of technological change within the industry. Emerging technologies like drones, AI, biometrics, robotics, alternative fuels and electric aircraft are expected to change the face of aviation. For example, eventually drones will be used to deliver cargo delivery and carry passengers’ carriage in urban centers.
Advances in technology, including digital aerodrome air traffic services and cyber-attack prevention, are essential for even better safety, security, and client experience. Cyber-attacks have increased worldwide and have affected both the air navigation services and air traffic management equipment.
NAV CANADA is working with their international partners to address cyber-attacks and implement solutions. Attacking the technology used to support air navigation operations could impact the economy and security. The changes made to 5G spectrum are having a significant impact on the aviation operating environment.
2. Considerations and drivers for oversight activities priorities
Considerations
Transportation 2030: A Strategic Plan for the Future of Transportation in Canada serves as the department’s roadmap towards a safe, secure, green, innovative and integrated transportation system that supports:
- trade corridors to global markets and Canada’s economic growth
- green and innovative transportation
- Canada’s middle class and their well-being
A normal part of Canada’s aviation industry is that the operating status of aviation companies can change throughout a given year. Each year there are companies whose certificates become invalid for various reasons.
This results in a difference between the numbers of inspections planned versus completed, usually around 10%. Civil Aviation’s new surveillance model gives us the flexibility to fill any gaps created with reactive inspections.
Any difference between planned versus actual inspections is closely monitored and tracked with the goal of completing as many planned surveillance activities as possible.
Transport Canada continues our active and strategic engagement in global, multilateral, and bilateral fora where Canadian expertise is shared and promoted. As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Transport Canada will continue participating in ICAO meetings, panels and working groups, including technical conferences related to civil aviation and emerging technologies.
Risk-based priorities
Planned or reactive surveillance inspections are done to assess industry compliance with regulatory framework, which includes foreign air operators that fly to and from Canada. Surveillance covers all activities related to preparing, conducting, and reporting on inspection. It also includes any action taken in response to industry non-compliance like reviewing and following-up on Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), enforcement actions and certificate actions.
System risk will continue to be included as the key to an effective method of planning for FY 2024-25. We also use a dynamic risk-based planning methodology that looks at risk across the entire system using quantitative and qualitative data points in conjunction with certificate groups and or enterprise.
Operational priorities
Regulatory authorizations
We grant and maintain permission for people and organizations to operate in Canada’s civil aviation system. Regulatory authorizations are difficult to predict because they’re done on-demand.
As such, we use historical data to predict future demand. Numbers are calculated based on the average actual number of regulatory authorizations delivered in the last three fiscal years.
Transportation Safety Board recommendations
The risks identified in the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) recommendations play a crucial role in shaping how we execute planned surveillance during a given year. By considering these risks, we can tailor our surveillance work to address specific vulnerabilities and prioritize areas that need attention.
These recommendations also influence our approach to reactive surveillance. Through targeted inspections, we respond to incidents or emerging safety concerns promptly. Integrating Transportation Safety Board insights ensures that our surveillance efforts remain effective and adaptive.
The risks listed in the Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations can inform how we deliver planned surveillance within a given year.
Their recommendations are also factored-in to reactive surveillance through targeted inspections.
3. Oversight delivery in 2023-24
The delivery of oversight activities, such as planned risk-based inspections and reactive inspections, will be reported through the Canadian Center on Transportation Data (CCTD).
4. Organizational contact information
Transport Canada welcomes your comments on this report.
Email: TC.TPECDivision-DivisiondeTPEC.TC@tc.gc.ca
Annex A: Definitions
| Required Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Oversight | How Transport Canada promotes, monitors or enforces compliance with our safety and security requirements. |
| Regulatory authorizations | Given when a regulated party (for example, a railway company or vehicle manufacturer) applies for permission to do a regulated activity or be exempt from it. We may give permission in various forms, including a permit, licence, or certification. Transport Canada does not control the number of regulatory authorizations per planning cycle. |
| Inspection |
A documented, formal examination of industry compliance with Canadian transportation safety and security rules, regulations, and requirements. Authorized Transport Canada officials record the results of each inspection. For the purposes of this document, audits are a type of inspection. *Includes pre-site, onsite, and post-site inspection, and oversight activities. Is complete when the inspector submits an approved inspection or oversight activities report. Does not include follow-up action, quality control checks or outreach activities. |
| Planned, risk-based inspections |
All inspections Transport Canada initially commits to doing in each planning cycle. *Does not include:
|
| Follow-up activities |
Arise from findings of an initial inspection. May include an on-site inspection, requests for more information, or enhanced monitoring. *Do not include enforcement. |
| Other activities | Oversight activities that Transport Canada did not initially commit to in a planning cycle and are not a follow-up to an inspection or audit. |
| Enforcement |
Measures we use to enforce requirements and compel compliance. For example:
|
| Education, outreach and awareness | How we educate the public, and encourage people and companies to comply with the law (for example: industry conferences, air shows, training, web portal) |
| Quality control |
How we ensure inspectors follow policies and procedures, and complete required documentation. Applies to an entire oversight activity, from inspection, to follow-up, to resolving non-compliance. Supervisors and managers are responsible for quality control. Each program must have:
|