26 April 2023 – CF Snowbirds Facebook
CANADA DAY
We’re thrilled to announce that we will be performing in Halifax, on July 1st for Canada Day! 
The team is excited to return to Nova Scotia after 3 years for this important event.
We would like to thank the City of Halifax and CFB Halifax for their tremendous support.
MCpl Matthew MacKenzie
OTTAWA, ON, April 21, 2023 /CNW/ – From travelling to appointments to helping deliver essential necessities such as food, medicine and other goods, strong, financially stable northern air transportation providers are vital to support vibrant and sustainable communities in the North.
In 2019, the Government of Canada approved the merger of First Air and Canadian North, subject to several terms and conditions meant to protect the public interest. Since then, the air transportation landscape has changed dramatically due to the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has had a lasting impact on Canadian North’s ability to comply with the existing conditions, while also providing service to northern communities. During the pandemic, Canadian North was exempted from its scheduling obligations, and received $138 million in direct funding from the Government of Canada.
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, today announced that the Government of Canada and Canadian North have agreed on new terms and conditions that will allow Canadian North to remain financially viable and sustainable, while continuing to provide required levels of service to rural and remote communities in Northern Canada.
The Government of Canada and Canadian North have agreed on a profit cap, which will allow them to adjust fares and routes to remain viable without cutting off communities or placing a significant financial burden on northern travellers.
Examples of the new terms and conditions include:
The new agreement also includes regular oversight for the Minister to ensure that the public interest is maintained.
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“Canadian North provides an important service to the North, and is the only true full network air carrier in much of the region. These new terms and conditions will ensure northern and remote communities have the access to the air services they need, while at the same time ensuring Canadian North remains a viable service provider.”
The Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport
Quick Facts
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
OTTAWA, ON, April 24, 2023 /CNW/ – The air sector plays a crucial role in connecting Canadians across the country and to the world, and creates good, middle-class jobs to help build an economy that works for everyone. Protecting the rights of air passengers is a priority of the Government of Canada, and the government will continue to ensure that travellers’ rights are respected by airlines when air travel does not go according to plan.
Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honorable Omar Alghabra, announced that proposed amendments to the Canada Transportation Act have been introduced as part of Bill C-47, the Budget Implementation Act. These proposed amendments would strengthen Canada’s passenger rights regime, streamline the processes for administering air travel complaints before the Canadian Transportation Agency (Agency), and increase air carriers’ accountability.
In 2019, for the first time in Canadian history, an air passenger rights regime, called the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) was implemented. The regulations clarified minimum requirements and compensation. During the pandemic, the government strengthened these rights to include refunds for cancellations and long delays in situations outside the airline’s control, including major weather events or a pandemic.
These new proposed amendments to the Canada Transportation Act would, among other things, allow the Agency to modify its regulations to:
The amendments would also:
Following royal assent of the Budget Implementation Act, the Agency would have the authority to initiate the regulatory process to amend the APPR in consultation with the Minister of Transport. New regulations are expected to be in place at the earliest opportunity. As of September 30, 2023, or if it is later, as of the day on which the Budget Implementation Act receives royal assent, the Agency would begin to resolve complaints through the new complaint resolution process.
Together with the $75.9 million over three years previously announced for the Agency to help reduce the backlog of complaints, these measures would help ensure that if events similar to those of last summer and over the holiday season occur, passengers are treated fairly, and the carriers meet their obligations swiftly.
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“It is clear that a stronger and simpler system is needed to increase air carriers’ accountability and transparency, reduce the number of incidents referred to the Agency, and streamline the Agency’s processes for addressing travel complaints. The proposed amendments would significantly enhance our air passenger rights regime to ensure travellers get the services and treatment they pay for and deserve.”
The Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport
Associated Link
Bill C-47, the Budget Implementation Act
Quick Facts
Transport Canada is online at tc.canada.ca.
OTTAWA, ON, April 18, 2023 /CNW/ – Southern Ontario is Canada’s most populous area, with the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) alone home to over 6.3 million Canadians. Ontario’s population is also expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. This is why the Government of Canada needs to assess the requirement for additional airport capacity in the region.
Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced that Transport Canada has issued a Request for Proposals to hire an aviation professional services contractor to help the department analyze current and future airport supply and demand in Southern Ontario. The contractor will assist Transport Canada officials in scoping the requirements for a comprehensive study of airport capacity in Southern Ontario, as well as a formal consultation process.
Following the scoping of work for the study, Transport Canada will post a second Request for Proposals to engage a third-party contractor to undertake the study as well as the consultation.
This analysis, as well as engagement with local stakeholders, the provincial and municipal governments, and Indigenous Peoples, is a first step towards making a final decision to address future airport capacity constraints in the region, and on the future of the Pickering Lands. We have no intention to proceed with building an airport on the Pickering Lands in the near term and the conclusions of the study could lead, for example, to a determination that an airport on the Pickering Lands is not required in the long term.
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“Air travel is essential to growing an economy that works for everyone and creating good, middle-class jobs in Southern Ontario and the rest of the country. As we continue to support the recovery of the air sector, there is a need to study and understand the potential impacts of a growing population on existing airport infrastructure. Today is the beginning of a process to analyze the future of the Southern Ontario airport system. This work will also bring us closer to making a final decision on the Pickering Lands.”
The Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport
Associated Link
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Edmonton, Alberta, 29 March 2023 — In its investigation report (A21W0090) released today, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) highlights the importance of taking appropriate measures when encountering an unstable approach and ensuring that items in the cabin are secured.
On 10 October 2021, a privately registered Daher TBM700 N was conducting an instrument flight rules flight from Vernon Airport, British Columbia, to Westlock Aerodrome, Alberta, with a stop at Calgary/Springbank Airport, Alberta, to pick up passengers.
At the time of occurrence, one pilot and three passengers were on board. Following an unstable visual approach at the Westlock Aerodrome, the aircraft bounced, and the pilot initiated a go-around. During the application of engine power, the aircraft rolled to the left, struck the runway inverted, and came to rest on the runway’s south side.
The investigation identified issues with the execution of the approach, touchdown, and go-around as causes and contributing factors for this accident. It also identified that the passengers did not receive a safety briefing before departure or before landing, and multiple items in the cabin were not secured. While all passengers were wearing the lap belts, only one was wearing the available shoulder harness. As a result, one passenger sustained serious injuries due their unrestrained upper torso and the loose items that were thrown around in the cabin during the accident. The pilot was also only wearing the lap belt but not the available airbag-equipped shoulder harness; as a result, he sustained serious injuries.
See the investigation page for more information.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
Loss of control during landing
Privately registered
Daher TBM700 N (TBM 910), C-FFYM
Westlock Aerodrome, Alberta
10 October 2021
On 10 October 2021, the privately registered Daher TBM700 N (registration C-FFYM, serial number 1190) was conducting an instrument flight rules flight from Vernon Airport, British Columbia, to Westlock Aerodrome, Alberta, with a stop at Calgary/Springbank Airport, Alberta, to pick up passengers, after which 1 pilot and 3 passengers were on board. At 1102:26 Mountain Daylight Time, while the aircraft was landing on Runway 28 at Westlock Aerodrome, the aircraft bounced and the pilot initiated a go-around. During the application of engine power for the go-around, the aircraft rolled to the left, struck the runway inverted, and came to rest on the runway’s south side.
The 3 passengers exited the aircraft through the main cabin door with the assistance of persons nearby. One passenger received serious injuries, and the other 2 had minor injuries. The pilot, who was seriously injured, was trapped in the cockpit for approximately 2 hours before first responders could safely rescue him from the wreckage. An emergency locator transmitter signal was received by the search and rescue satellite system. The aircraft was significantly damaged and there was no post-impact fire.
On 10 October 2021, the privately registered Daher TBM700 N (TBM 910) aircraft was conducting an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Vernon Airport (CYVK), British Columbia. The planned destination was Edmonton/Villeneuve Airport (CZVL), Alberta, with a brief intermediate stop at Calgary/Springbank Airport (CYBW), Alberta. The pilot and 1 passenger were on board for the first leg of the flight, and 2 additional passengers boarded at CYBW.
During the stopover at CYBW, the aircraft stopped at the end of an uncontrolled taxiway to pick up the 2 passengers. The pilot remained in the cockpit with the engine running and the propeller turning. Given that the aircraft was on an uncontrolled taxiway, there was no ramp safety supervision or marshallers present. There is no regulation precluding loading an aircraft in this manner.
The 2 passengers approached the aircraft and opened the main cabin door. They unloaded a bike before boarding the aircraft, and then they loaded their baggage primarily into the passenger compartment. The baggage was not secured.
The pilot then phoned a family member to report that he and the passengers would be arriving in an hour. One of the 3 passengers was seated in the mid-cabin, rear-facing seat on the right side of the aircraft, and only secured the lap belt. One passenger was seated in the aft cabin forward-facing seat on the left side of the aircraft, beside the main cabin door. This passenger secured both the lap belt and shoulder harness. The third passenger was seated in the aft cabin forward-facing seat on the right side of the aircraft and only secured the lap belt.
The passengers had routinely flown with the pilot on the occurrence aircraft and were familiar with boarding the aircraft, operating and locking the main cabin door, stowing baggage, and fastening safety harnesses.
The aircraft departed CYBW at 1013 on an IFR flight plan and proceeded to CZVL at 16 000 feet above sea level (ASL).
Thirty minutes into this leg of the flight, the pilot requested that the flight-planned destination be amended from CZVL to Westlock Aerodrome (CES4), Alberta, because weather conditions at that location met visual meteorological conditions, which would permit a visual flight rules (VFR) approach. At the time of the occurrence, CES4 did not have any instrument approach procedures. The Edmonton terminal controller approved the change, and the flight was cleared to proceed visually, direct to CES4.
The aircraft approached CES4 from the south (Figure 1), and at 1059:40, it crossed over the aerodrome mid-field at approximately 1250 feet above ground level (AGL) and 126 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS), configured with the landing gear extended and the flaps set to the take-off position (10°). The aircraft then banked right to join the mid-right downwind leg.
Edmonton, Alberta, 14 March 2023 — Today, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is issuing a recommendation aimed at improving the Civil Aviation Medical Examiners’ guidelines. It is being issued as part of investigation (A21W0089) in which an amateur-built Cavalier SA102.5 aircraft entered into an aerodynamic stall and collided with terrain, in Lacombe, Alberta, on 09 October 2021, resulting in the death of the pilot.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Alberta reported that the cause of death was attributed to blunt force trauma, with cardiovascular disease as a significant contributing factor. The report also noted that the pilot had evidence of a heart attack, although it was not possible to determine the exact time of this event.
Since 2000, TSB has investigated eight accidents, including this one, involving commercial pilots in which cardiovascular disease was identified as a finding as to risk or finding as to cause.
Following a loss of control and collision with terrain that took place in Miramichi, New Brunswick, on 23 April 2010 (investigation report A10A0041), the Board issued a safety concern indicating that medical practitioners may not always be aware of the need or importance of transmitting reportable medical conditions and, further, that deficiencies exist in the guidelines designed to screen for cardiovascular risks.
If Transport Canada guidance material and the civil aviation medical examination report do not include up-to-date cardiovascular screening methods to perform a global cardiovascular assessment when appropriate, there is an increased risk that cardiovascular disease will remain unidentified and pilots may become incapacitated while operating an aircraft.
Therefore, the Board recommends that the Department of Transport establish a framework for routine review and improvement to the Handbook for Civil Aviation Medical Examiners to ensure it contains the most effective screening tools for assessing medical conditions such as cardiovascular health issues. (TSB Recommendation A23-01)
These updated screening guidelines would reduce the likelihood of pilots becoming incapacitated while operating an aircraft and mitigate the risk of another accident such as this one.
See the investigation page for more information.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
Collision with terrain
Privately registered
Cavalier SA102.5 (amateur-built aircraft), C-FBWF
Lacombe Aerodrome, Alberta, 14 NM E
09 October 2021
On 09 October 2021, the privately registered, amateur-built Cavalier SA102.5 aircraft (registration C-FBWF, serial number 6958) was conducting a local recreational flight from Lacombe Aerodrome, Alberta, with 1 pilot and 1 passenger on board. When the aircraft was 14 nautical miles east of the aerodrome, it entered an aerodynamic stall, resulting in a left-hand spin and collision with terrain. The pilot, who was seated in the left seat, was fatally injured; the passenger received serious injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged; there was no post-impact fire. The 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter activated. A satellite tracking device also helped locate the aircraft.
At approximately 1516 on 09 October 2021, the privately registered, amateur-built Cavalier SA102.5 aircraft (registration C-FBWF, serial number 6958) departed Lacombe Aerodrome (CEG3), Alberta, for a local recreational flight with the owner/pilot and 1 passenger on board.
After departing CEG3, the aircraft flew generally eastward. Details of the flight path (Figure 1) were captured every 10 minutes by a SPOT satellite tracking device on board. The last recorded position of the aircraft while it was airborne was at 1556, at an approximate altitude of 5095 feet above sea level (ASL). Following this, the aircraft changed direction to a south-southeast heading and at some point between this position and the accident site, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall, resulting in a spin and collision with terrain. The accident site was approximately 14 nautical miles east of Lacombe Aerodrome, Alberta, at an elevation of 2644 feet ASL.
At 1605, the 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated and a signal was detected by the Canadian Mission Control Centre, which relayed the information to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre contacted first responders within 2 minutes.
First responders arrived at the site approximately 1 hour and 46 minutes after the accident. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured.
See the investigation page for more information.
MIAMI, March 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. (JET: NEO; JET.B: NEO; JETMF: OTCQB) (the “Company” or “GlobalX”) has amended its Foreign Air Operators Certificate issued by Transport Canada. The Amended Canadian FAOC adds the number of, and type of, aircraft GlobalX can provide as part of its charter and ACMI offering into Canada from the US, including operating on behalf of existing Canadian airlines.
“We greatly appreciate the support provided to us by Transport Canada during our approval process. Canada will become an increasingly important market for us and we continue to provide additional aircraft capacity to Canadian airlines during their peak seasons, as well as to provide aircraft for operational reasons,” said Ed Wegel, Chair and CEO. “By adding the A321 and additional aircraft to our FAOC we can offer both larger capacity and cargo aircraft to Canadian customers and airlines.”
About Global Crossing Airlines
GlobalX is a US 121 domestic flag and supplemental Airline flying the Airbus A320 family aircraft. GlobalX flies as a passenger ACMI and charter airline serving the US, Caribbean, European and Latin American markets. In 2023, GlobalX entered ACMI cargo service flying the A321 freighter. For more information, please visit www.globalxair.com.
OTTAWA, ON, March 14, 2023 /CNW/ – The air sector plays a crucial role in connecting Canadians from coast to coast to coast and to the world. The sector also helps create good, middle-class jobs and build an economy that works for everyone. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, recovery has been difficult, and travellers have experienced many flight delays and cancellations that are unacceptable. These travellers have rights, and the Government of Canada will continue to ensure that they are respected by the airlines.
Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honorable Omar Alghabra, announced $75.9 million in additional funding over three years, starting in 2023-24, to ensure the Canadian Transportation Agency (Agency) has the resources to address passenger rights complaints, and strengthen the operation of the federal transportation network, enabling the Agency to efficiently deliver on its mandate for Canadians. For example, the new funding will make it possible to hire more employees to deal with complaints.
In 2019, for the first time in Canadian history, an air passenger rights regime, called the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), was implemented to clarify minimum requirements and compensation based on whether an airline has control over the disruption or not. During the pandemic, the government strengthened these rights to include refunds for situations outside the airline’s control, including major weather events or a pandemic.
The funding announced today will help strengthen passenger rights by giving the Agency additional resources to carry out its mandate and reduce the backlog of existing complaints.
The Government of Canada is also working on significant reforms to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations to ensure passenger rights are even more protected. These changes will place Canada at the forefront of passenger protections globally and, together with other steps to be taken, will help prevent the frustrating passenger experiences of last summer and over the holiday season.
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“Travellers have rights, and these rights must be respected by airlines. When airlines do not provide the reimbursement or compensation to which travellers are entitled, the Canadian Transportation Agency is there to ensure passenger rights are respected. Today’s announcement helps give the Agency more resources to deal with complaints and ensure the rules are respected. Our government also continues to work to strengthen and clarify travellers’ rights.”
The Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport
Quick Facts
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Canadian Aviation News 
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