Month: January 2023
Advance CBSA Declaration now available at Calgary International Airport
Make your customs and immigration declaration in advance and save time at the airport
CALGARY, AB, Jan. 31, 2023 /CNW/ – The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is exploring safe, secure and innovative ways to deliver a better and faster border experience for travellers entering Canada.
Effective today, Advance CBSA Declaration is available to all travellers that are arriving on international flights at the YYC Calgary International Airport. Express lanes will also be available in the airport’s customs area, helping travellers who completed their Advance CBSA Declaration skip longer lineups for Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIK) machines.
The Advance CBSA Declaration feature provides travellers with the option to submit their customs and immigration declaration through ArriveCAN, up to 72 hours in advance of their arrival in Canada. Travellers can now spend less time at PIKs when they arrive at the airport, resulting in shorter wait times at the border. Travellers who submit their declaration in advance will be able to take advantage of the new Advance CBSA Declaration express lanes, to expedite their arrivals processing.
In an effort to modernize and expedite the travel experience, the Advance CBSA Declaration feature is already available to travellers arriving on international flights at the following Canadian airports:
- Toronto Pearson
- Montreal-Trudeau
- Winnipeg Richardson
- Vancouver
- Halifax
- Québec City Jean Lesage
In the coming months, the feature will become available to travellers arriving at Edmonton, Billy Bishop Toronto City, and Ottawa international airports. The Advance CBSA Declaration feature is part of the Agency’s Traveller Modernization initiative, which is being implemented over the coming years. Modernizing the travel experience includes the use of digital technologies and tools for both travellers and border services officers.
Quotes
“We are making available technology that keeps our borders secure and helps travellers enter Canada more efficiently. Advance CBSA Declaration is one example of how the CBSA is modernizing Canada’s borders, and we’re happy to work with partners like the Calgary Airport Authority to make this option available to travellers.”
-Brad Wozny, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, CBSA
“Guests arriving to Calgary from an international destination get their first impression of Canada through the customs process. That’s why we are continuously working with the Canada Border Services Agency on its technology innovations like Advance Declaration, which we understand will speed up and streamline the customs process.”
-Chris Miles, VP Operations & Infrastructure, The Calgary Airport Authority
Quick facts
- A traveller can submit a new declaration at any point within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada. They can also edit their declaration at the airport kiosk on arrival. The declaration is not finalized until it has been certified at the airport kiosk.
- Early usage data shows that using the Advance CBSA Declaration feature cuts the amount of time a traveller spends at a PIK or eGate by roughly one third.
- Personal information provided by travellers through ArriveCAN is protected under the Privacy Act. For more information, see the ArriveCAN privacy notice. Advance CBSA Declaration has an additional privacy notice that is presented to users upon accessing the feature. It offers end-to-end encryption for information the traveller transmits to the CBSA in advance of their arrival in Canada.
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Toronto Pearson hosts airport-wide, multi-employer job fair
TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2023 /CNW/ – With Canada’s aviation industry still gearing up from its pandemic shutdown, Toronto Pearson is leading a new recruitment drive.
On Tuesday, January 31, Pearson is hosting an airport-wide job fair for 32 employers looking to fill more than 400 positions. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Terminal 3.
As the largest airport in Canada, Toronto Pearson is home to a diverse workforce akin to a small city. Before the pandemic, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) employed just 1,500 of the 50,000 people who work at Pearson. Rebuilding that capacity means connecting job seekers with airport partner companies, agencies and tenants who offer a wide variety of employment and growth opportunities, such as customer service, security, baggage handlers, food and beverage workers, supervisors, managers and more. For the complete list of employers attending the job fair, visit torontopearson.com.
“This job fair is one of many initiatives within the GTAA’s vision to be more proactive in building a world-class, airport-wide workforce while promoting the airport as an employer of choice,” says Karen Mazurkewich, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations and Communications, GTAA. “We are collaborating with our employers, not only to make our vision come to fruition, but also to be able to work collectively across the airport in an innovative way to build a common vision for our workforce.”
The GTAA thanks the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for supporting this project through its Skills Development Fund, which has provided the ability to pilot initiatives to build, support and future-proof the airport workforce pipeline. This support will help address several initiatives and areas of focus towards building and strengthening one of the country’s most dynamic, multi-employer workforces at Toronto Pearson airport.
“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, and our government is taking action to help people get the skills they need to succeed,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “To date, our Skills Development Fund has invested over $620 million to help nearly 400,000 people across our province take the next step in their careers and earn bigger paycheques for themselves and their families. Our investment in training at Toronto Pearson continues our mission to lift people up. To build a stronger Ontario, we need all hands on deck.”
“The labour shortage Ontario is facing is of paramount importance. One of my top priorities is supporting women’s economic security and prosperity – to help women across the province thrive. Women must be a part of filling the void our labour force currently has,” said Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social & Economic Opportunity. “That is why I am firmly committed to investing in women’s skills. Last year, our government announced a new investment in one of our signature women’s employment programs along with a call for proposals. We announced an additional $6.9 million over three years to expand the Investing in Women’s Futures program. Investments like this will be key in helping women learn new skills and enter the labour market.”
For more information on Toronto Pearson’s job fair, please visit torontopearson.com/careers.
About the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is the operator of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Canada’s largest airport and a vital connector of people, businesses and goods. Toronto Pearson has been named “Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers” for five years in a row by Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade representative of the world’s airports. In recognition of its Healthy Airport program, ACI has also awarded Toronto Pearson the “Best hygiene measures in North America” award for two years running, and Toronto Pearson was the first Canadian airport to receive ACI’s global health accreditation for its response to COVID-19.
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada: Behind the Scenes at our New Restoration Facility
January 23, 2023
We recently made a visit to our new off-site restoration facility to see what our loyal volunteers are working on. Read on to find out what’s happening…
Final touches on the Bellanca Aircruiser restoration
Spot the difference! What’s missing from the Bellanca in the present-day photo on the right? If you guessed engine cowling and wheel pants, you’re right!
Before aircraft had retractable landing gear, wheel pants were used to reduce drag, protect the wheels and struts, and improve speed. The aircraft cowling also reduces drag and cools the engine.
The team is working hard to fabricate these two components for our Bellanca Aircruiser so it can be fully restored to match its original condition.
Pedal planes
Shawn Romas is one of our restoration team volunteers and he’s a man of many talents. Aside from helping to fix up aircraft for the museum, he’s been busily working on a fleet of kids’ pedal planes.
These fun, ride-on toys are built to resemble our de Havilland Tiger Moth, the first aircraft to greet you when you enter the Royal Aviation Museum.
Each has been given call letters that memorialize a past restoration volunteer, a squadron number, and a serial number. Shawn even made gauges for each plane.
So, what’s the plan for these pedal planes?
As soon as the weather allows it, Estelle Regnier—the same artist who painted the beautiful murals under our Musketeer and in our Galaxy Exploration Zone—will paint an outdoor track in Aviation Plaza. Once the pedal planes are roadworthy, they’ll be made available to our young visitors!
Wind T (aka “Mr. T”)
Dubbed “Mr. T” by our restoration team, our landing T recently made the trek to our new restoration facility nearby.
A landing tee is one type of visual wind indicator. They’re erected at certain airports to indicate wind direction. When facing into the wind, the wind tee swings with the wind, making the letter “T” readable.
Visual wind indicators can be used to identify wind direction when Air Traffic Control reports are unavailable or if the information on a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) may be unreliable.[1]
After sitting in storage for many years, Mr. T needs a lot of TLC. He’s got some dents and dings, some rust, and a few missing parts.
This is one of the projects our restoration team will be working on over the winter. Hopefully, you’ll see Mr. T all fixed up and next to the Voodoo in the coming months.
Fox Moth/Oster/Fairchild F-24
Some of our aircraft are still in storage throughout the province, but there are three in our restoration facility that are almost ready for display: the de Havilland Fox Moth, the Taylorcraft Auster, and the Fairchild F-24.
Will one or all of these make an appearance in our museum soon? Stay tuned to find out!
[1] https://www.halibrite.com/wind-cones/essential-guide-to-wind-direction-indicators/
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WestJet cancels summer flights between Halifax and Europe
WestJet announces temporary transatlantic route suspensions from Halifax
By WestJet | January 30, 2023 | 2 min read
WestJet today is announcing that it has temporarily suspended transatlantic service between Halifax and Europe as part of its 2023 summer schedule. Today’s announcement comes as a result of the airline’s strategic decision to suspend transatlantic flying from select Canadian cities as it continues to responsibly manage and recover its network in response to capacity constraints impacting the aviation ecosystem.
The airline remains committed to engaging with local stakeholders and community members to evaluate the return of transatlantic service in 2024, as well as for all network opportunities moving forward. WestJet’s focus remains on positioning its network to meet the travel demands of Canadians, while strengthening its footprint across Eastern Canada through sun and leisure travel which will be bolstered by its recent acquisition announcement of 42 additional Boeing MAX aircraft.
“Halifax remains an integral part of our network and we understand this is disappointing news for our guests and the local community,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. “As we continue to responsibly balance our schedule alongside operational requirements, capacity constraints and the deployment of our aircraft across Canada, we are making these difficult decisions now to enable us to re-position our investments to best serve the province for years to come.”
WestJet has proudly served Halifax for 19 years and while these routes have not been available for sale, the airline is prioritizing providing guests with as much advance notice as possible and giving firm clarity on routes that have been in question. As WestJet plans to announce its summer schedule in the coming weeks, the airline looks forward to enhancing domestic offerings from coast-to-coast, inclusive of increased service between Halifax and Western Canada.
Canadian Aviation News 
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