NAV CANADA announces second quarter financial results

OTTAWA, ON, April 6, 2023 /CNW/ – NAV CANADA today released its financial results for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company saw air traffic levels, as measured in weighted charging units, increase 21.2% on a year over year basis. In comparison to pre-pandemic levels in fiscal 2019 however, weighted charging units were 9.9% lower. The Company’s revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 was $388 million, compared to $313 million over the same period in fiscal 2022.

“Our air traffic levels provide a positive signal on the state of the industry as it continues to recover. NAV CANADA remains focused on supporting a sustained recovery for the industry through strategic and measured investment in world-leading technologies and leveraging innovation in partnership with our customers and stakeholders,” said Raymond G. Bohn, President and CEO. “To do so, we continue to build a strong company culture and a one company mindset that will deliver enhanced resiliency, increased capacity and enhanced long term cost effectiveness.”

The Company had positive free cash flow of $34 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023 as compared to $28 million in the same period in fiscal 2022. The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $411 million.

Operating expenses for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 were $371 million as compared to $350 million over the same period in fiscal 2022 as a result of higher compensation costs and operational expenditures.

Net other income and expenses for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 were a net expense of $20 million as compared to a net expense of $29 million over the same period in fiscal 2022.

The Company had a net loss (before net movement in regulatory deferral accounts including rate stabilization) of $3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023 as compared to $66 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2022.

The Company is subject to legislation that regulates its approach to setting charges. The timing of the recognition of certain revenue and expenses recovered through charges is recorded through movements in regulatory deferral accounts. The net movement in regulatory deferral accounts for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 was an expense of $33 million as compared to income of $35 million over the same period in fiscal 2022. This change in regulatory deferrals is primarily due to favourable rate stabilization adjustments of $34 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023 as compared to unfavourable adjustments of $5 million for the same period in fiscal 2022, along with a $29 million net decrease in adjustments required to align the accounting recognition of certain transactions to the periods in which they will be considered for rate setting. As at February 28, 2023, the rate stabilization account had a balance of $462 million to be recovered from customers through future customer service charges. 

Associated Links

The Company’s Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 can be found at:

Financial Statements
Management’s Discussion and Analysis

About NAV CANADA

NAV CANADA is a private, not-for-profit company, established in 1996, providing air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for more than 18 million square kilometres of Canadian domestic and international airspace. The Company is internationally recognized for its safety record and technology innovation. Air traffic management systems developed by NAV CANADA are used by air navigation service providers in countries worldwide.

RAMWC honours memory of the RCAF’s first commander in Manitoba, Basil D. Hobbs, with unveiling of new artefact

(WINNIPEG, MB – April 6, 2023) – Ahead of their first-ever aviation conference, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) is set to add a significant new artefact to its collection on April 13, 2023.

Basil Deacon Hobbs (1894–1965) is a key figure in Canada’s aviation history. He served as a naval pilot in WWI, was decorated three times, then became Manitoba’s first commander of the Canadian Air Force in 1923, and of the RCAF upon its formation in 1924. He also made great contributions to Canadian aviation during peacetime, including the first long-range flying operations across Canada and in northern Manitoba.

On the 100^th anniversary of the flights made by Basil Hobbs in a Curtiss H-16 flying boat from Ontario and in northern Manitoba during the summer of 1923, the museum is pleased to unveil its newest artefact, an intricate scale model of this plane built by Winnipegger Stan Michalak.

What began in 2020 as a tribute to Manitoba’s 100^th anniversary turned into a three-year passion project for Stan, commemorating the first and only aircraft of this type registered and flown in Canada.

While it’s exciting to look toward the future of aviation, we also need to remember that without the heroes and innovators who blazed a trail, we would not have a future to look forward to.

The mission of RAMWC is to preserve and to tell the stories of western Canada aviation. To honour these stories and the contributions of those who led the way for today’s aviators, the RAMWC has made storytelling a top priority in their new museum.

“When our new museum opened, we took the opportunity to shift from being an aircraft-centric to a story-centric museum,” explains CEO Terry Slobodian. “Every aircraft display includes a story to more effectively engage our visitors. Building on that theme, we’re now starting to develop the stories of Canada’s greatest aviators, starting with Basil Deacon Hobbs.”

This model of the Curtiss H-16 flown by Basil Hobbs will be the first artefact in the museum’s Hero Collection, a collection designed to showcase some of Canada’s aviation pioneers and heroes.

The model will be unveiled at a private reception on April 13, prior to the conference which begins Friday, April 14.

Event Details

Thursday, April 13 at 2:00 pm – Model unveiling and champagne toast followed by a reception. Members of Basil Hobbs’ family will be in attendance and available for interview along with model builder Stan Michalak.

About the RAMWC

The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada was established in 1974 by a small group of visionaries committed to preserving Canada’s distinct aviation heritage. Today, with nearly 100 historic aircraft and more than 70,000 artefacts and archival records (including photographs), the museum remains one of Canada’s largest and most complete aviation heritage collections. Through remarkable storytelling and engaging exhibits that enable visitors and students to discover the science behind flight, this collection is sure to inspire future generations of aviators and inventors. RAMWC is located on the campus of the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport and will be a premier attraction for the city of Winnipeg. Located on Treaty No. 1 Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Lakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation, RAMWC is committed to Truth and Reconciliation, and to creating a safe space for this to occur.

About the RAMWC National Aviation Conference

Organized by a passionate group of aviation historians, the first RAMWC National Aviation Conference was designed to create a deeper understanding of the developments in Canadian civil, commercial, and military aviation between the critical years of 1928 and 1924. These developments were different from those in the United Kingdom, other Dominions, the United States and Europe. How and why these differences came about and why they set the scene for the future is especially important for what came following the establishment of the RCAF on April 1, 1924.   

About Basil Hobbs

• Born in England and raised in Sault Ste. Marie
• WWI flying boat pilot stationed in Felixstowe, UK from 1916 – 1919
• 1917: Appointed to Distinguished Service Order for downing a German Zeppelin and twice awarded Distinguished Service Cross for sinking two U-boat submarines.
• 1920: One of the pilots who completed the eastern half of Canada’s first cross-country flight.
• 1921: Appointed superintendent of the Air Board’s air harbour at Victoria Beach.
• 1923: Appointed Manitoba’s first commanding officer of the Canadian Air Force; flew the Curtiss H-16—one of the aircraft gifted to Canada by the British Government after WWI—from Ontario and during a tumultuous, 10-day trip through NE Manitoba and NW Ontario to deliver treaty annuity payments.
• 1924: Became Manitoba’s first commanding officer of the RCAF when it was officially constituted on April 1, 1924

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NAV CANADA reports February traffic figures

OTTAWA, ON, March 20, 2023 /CNW/ – NAV CANADA announced today its traffic figures for the month of February 2023, as measured in weighted charging units for enroute, terminal and oceanic air navigation services, in comparison to the last fiscal year and to its 2019 fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from September 1 to August 31.

In February 2023 weighted charging units were higher on average by 28.8 percent compared to the same month in 2022. As compared to the same month in fiscal 2019, February 2023 weighted charging units were lower on average by 8.9 percent.

Weighted charging units represent a traffic measure that reflects the number of billable flights, aircraft size and distance flown in Canadian airspace and is the basis for movement-based service charges, which comprise the vast majority of the Company’s air traffic revenue.

About NAV CANADA

NAV CANADA is a private, not-for-profit company, established in 1996, providing air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for more than 18 million square kilometres of Canadian domestic and international airspace.

The Company is internationally recognized for its safety record, and technology innovation. Air traffic management systems developed by NAV CANADA are used by air navigation service providers in countries worldwide.

With Sunwing acquisition approved, WestJet must ensure its plan will benefit workers, customers

TORONTO, March 10, 2023 /CNW/ – With the simultaneous decisions from the Competition Bureau and Transport Canada’s public interest review approving WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing, Unifor remains steadfast that the acquisition must result in increased job quality for workers at Sunwing and WestJet.  

Westjet and Sunwing planes. (CNW Group/Unifor)

“The conditions placed on this sale do not address our very serious concerns or the worries of our members. There is just no meat on the bones here. There aren’t any specifics on how the company will execute these conditions or how government will enforce the conditions to ensure they are met,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“In order to guarantee consistent high-quality service for customers, WestJet and Sunwing must ensure the existing collective agreements are respected, end their practice of contract flipping to reduce labour costs and start paying a living wage. Without these actions, the acquisition will not solve the underlying problems of the industry.”

WestJet and Sunwing announced the deal, subject to regulatory approval, on March 2, 2022, with the promise of lower prices for consumers and crew optimization for workers.

Unifor filed a public interest submission to Transport Canada in July 2022, outlining its concerns, recommending the Canadian government ought to block the acquisition unless WestJet can guarantee job creation, investment in workers across the company to improve job quality and customer experience, and respect and accept existing collective agreements.

The union is calling on government to create a tri-partite committee including labour, government and the company to oversee the implementation of these conditions, ensuring accountability and follow-through.

“Given the chaos at Sunwing during the holiday travel season, this approval was almost inevitable. It’s unfortunate to see government hasn’t used the opportunity presented to flex its muscle and require conditions that will improve industry dynamics,” added Payne.

The aviation sector is struggling to attract and keep workers right now. Low wages, unpredictable hours, on-the-job harassment and contract flipping are all challenges workers in the industry are facing.

WestJet will have more work to do to improve job quality and attract more desperately needed workers to the industry.

“We’ve seen what happens when there’s no long-term plan to attract and retain workers in the industry,” said Leslie Dias, Unifor’s Director of Airlines. “We need the government to leverage the power it has, including through these conditions, to increase job quality and set the industry on a more resilient and sustainable course.”

Unifor represents 16,000 members across Canada in the aviation sector, including nearly 2,000 directly affected by the potential acquisition of Sunwing by WestJet, including 450 Sunwing pilots, 1,000 WestJet customer service representatives in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

It also has 550 members who work for Swissport, a contract company doing work for Sunwing in Vancouver and Toronto and 41 members at ATS, who perform work contracted by WestJet.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

DAIR Working to reduce the environmental footprint of the aerospace sector

Toronto ON – 14 March: Ontario aerospace companies and their partners are helping to accelerate a green shift in aviation and  aerospace through collaborative projects funded by the Downsview Aerospace Innovation &  Research (DAIR) Green Fund.  

The aerospace industry in Ontario and across Canada is a key component of the shift towards a greener  and more environmentally sustainable future. Green aviation technologies and processes are vital to  long-term success in the effort to reach the global target of net zero-carbon emissions by 2050 – and a  wide range of projects and technologies will be needed as part of a holistic approach. 

A first in Ontario, the DAIR Green Fund provides financial support to help small- and medium-sized  enterprises (SMEs) advance the technology readiness of projects that can help reduce the environmental  footprint of the aerospace sector. Eight projects led by southern Ontario SMEs have been selected as  Green Fund recipients in this initial round. The recipients are: Aeroflux, Brampton Processing, Burloak Technologies, Drone Delivery Canada, HEBE, Horizon Aircraft, OVA and Solid Ultrabatery. 

“The DAIR Green Fund-supported projects will help advance sustainable innovation in the Ontario  aerospace sector,” says Maryse Harvey, Executive Director of DAIR. “Such innovation will strengthen  Canadian global competitiveness, as many nations around the world pursue green transformation  initiatives in aviation and aerospace.” 

“This important effort has enabled the creation of promising research and development partnerships,  paving the way for increased collaboration which is key to our industry’s success,” added  Steven Cargnello, DAIR Green Fund Manager.  

Government of Canada support for the DAIR Green Fund was announced on August 23, 2022. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) is investing up to $2.6 million through the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI) to support the Green Fund as well  as DAIR’s Supplier Development Initiative (SDI). Both initiatives are designed to help the Ontario  aerospace ecosystem increase competitiveness and sustainability.  

Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, along with Ya’ara Saks,  Member of Parliament for York Centre, attended an event at the DAIR hub to celebrate the eight  innovative projects that received Green Fund support.  

The event was held at the Landing Gear Innovation Lab, Centennial College at Downsview Campus  (North York).  

“In order to meet our goal of becoming a net-zero economy, we must ensure that we are providing the  new capabilities and technology for industries to easily make the transition. The DAIR Green Fund  provides support to businesses who are leading the charge in creating sustainable innovations that will  help grow Canada’s aerospace industry. The eight businesses in southern Ontario that we are celebrating  today have created environmentally friendly projects that will keep this industry competitive globally and  create more jobs nationally. Our government is committed to finding new ways to move toward a 

greener economy that works for everyone.” – Hon. Filomena Tassi, Minister Responsible for the Federal  Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario 

DAIR Green Fund Selection Process  

In the fall of 2022, the DAIR Green Fund invited SMEs to propose projects for funding. Applicants had to  be located in southern Ontario to be eligible for the program. 

The focus of the projects included a broad cross-section of technologies and processes that can impact  green aerospace or sustainability. A rigorous process based on industry best practices was used to  manage the project solicitation, evaluation and selection process. A review committee composed of five  (5) members with diverse backgrounds and expertise from across industry, academia and research  centres was formed to assess the projects.  

The members of the review committee were from Innovitech Inc., the National Research Council of  Canada, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace  Studies, and Bombardier. Proposed projects were assessed based on weighted criteria including  environmental benefits, economic impact in southern Ontario, collaboration, and project planning and  management. 

About DAIR 

Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) is a not-for-profit whose mission is to revolutionize  the collaboration environment by catalyzing innovation in aerospace and beyond. DAIR supports its  members by offering access to state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure to accelerate leading-edge  and sustainable research and technology adoption; creating training solutions for the business and  technology challenges of today and tomorrow; providing a platform for industry, academia, and  government synergies, to foster and advance R&D partnerships; and advocation for the aerospace  industry locally, nationally, and globally. 

About FedDev Ontario 

For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twiter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

GTAA’s travel cap fails passengers and workers

TORONTO, March 10, 2023 /CNW/ – Leading up to March break and the busy summer travel season, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) decision to cap flights and the number of travelers fails both passengers and airport workers, says Unifor.

“The GTAA is punishing the traveling public by limiting flights and services as a band-aid solution to airport congestion, instead of fixing the problem by implementing common sense solutions to improve job quality and hire needed workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

People standing in line with luggage at the airport check in. (CNW Group/Unifor)

“We need to end the chaos in airports – but a travel cap merely limits supply instead of meeting the demand. At the core of things, this is a failure to keep the aviation industry attractive to workers.”

Unifor has repeatedly called on the aviation industry to change its failing workforce strategies by ending the practice of contract flipping and paying airport workers a living wage.

The GTAA first announced the caps in August 2022 as a stop gap measure to limit baggage handling and security screening needs during peak times.

“Seeing that the plan hasn’t evolved since first announced last summer, shows just how little effort government and industry are putting into solving the underlying problems.” said Payne. “These measures just contribute to angry and frustrated travelers. Putting on a cap today isn’t relieving the pressure for air travel tomorrow.”

Unifor has provided recommendations to airlines, airports, and the federal government consistently over the years. The problems facing the industry are not new but were exacerbated by decisions made during the pandemic to treat the workforce as disposable instead of with respect for the work they do.

The union is asking the federal government to require a minimum living wage at Canada’s airports, which would be $23.15 at Toronto Pearson, end the worst effects of contract flipping by implementing full successor rights, limit the number of ground handling companies that can operate at the airport and develop a solution to the escalating problem of on-the job-harassment.

Unifor also maintains that employers including in air traffic control have been relying on extensive and unfilled overtime to avoid hiring, putting higher demands on the remaining controllers. 

“The effects of operating with no resilience in the system have resulted in chaos and now a limit on supply,” said Payne. “Surely, the industry can do better.”

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada to host National Aviation History Conference April 14-15 2023

On April 14-15 the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) in Winnipeg will host a special aviation conference on the theme of “Versatility Was Their Virtue,” about the development of civil, commercial and military aviation in Canada from 1918-1924.

Over 20 presentations by invited speakers will contribute to a lively program with topics on three main subjects: People, Planes and Places. A number of the speakers are well-known to CAHS members from their presentations at other conventions and conferences. They include Richard Mayne, Allan Snowie, Diana Trafford, Matthias Joost, Chris Terry, Ruth Groome and Robert Galway.

Hedley Auld, a volunteer with RAMWC and a member of its aviation research group, will be presenting a luncheon address about the establishment of the Air Station at Victoria Beach, the first air station in Manitoba. Research about that air station and work by the research group helped inspire the concept of planning the conference.

“While we were digging into the first trans-Canada flight of 1920, from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to Richmond B.C., we encountered a wealth of material of which we had not previously been aware. These were not necessarily new discoveries; they were largely re-discoveries,” says Terry Slobodian, president and CEO of the museum. “It dawned on us that it would be important to review the events that led to the development of Canadian civil, commercial and military aviation in the critical period from 1918-1924.” 

The 1918 Airco DH.9A biplane, shown here, flew the final leg, including those by seaplanes, of the first trans-Canada flight in a relay across the country in October 1920. (Photo via internet)

A fine article about the 1920 cross-country flight, organized by the Canadian Air Board to publicize the value and versatility of aviation, was written by Col (Ret.) John Orr and appeared in SKIES magazine, which can be seen when you click here. John is one of the featured speakers for the conference.

Although there is no direct link of the conference to the 100^th Anniversary of the RCAF, there is definitely a tie-in with the establishment of the RCAF on April 1, 1924. “We hope that the conference will facilitate research into Canadian aviation from 1918-1924,” says Terry Slobodian. As a follow-up to the conference, proceedings of the event will be published, for which funding has been received. It is expected that they will be available in time for the RCAF Centennial in 2024.

The event will raise the visibility of an era of Canadian aviation history, and highlight the museum and its unique archival collection relating to the development of Canadian aviation. Since opening on May 21, 2022, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada has had over 77,500 visitors by the end of February 2023. Included in that number are a great many students attending the museum on school visits.

Full information about the conference, speakers and sessions can be found on the museum’s web site when you click here.

Full registration cost including parking, all sessions, lunches and end-of-day receptions is only $129.00, with early bird rate by March 31 of $119.00. As well, for anyone unable to attend in person, virtual access cost is $49.00, with early bird price of only $39.00.

The Friday lunch address by Hedley Auld will be about Basil Hobbs (1894-1963), DSO, O.B.E., DSC, a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, who was one of the pilots of the 1920 trans-Canada flight. The museum’s mascot, Hobbs, is named in honour of Basil Hobbs, whose grandson, Duncan Hobbs, is president of Charton Hobbs, a supplier of wine and spirts established in 1925 by Basil Hobbs. The company is the sponsor of the end-of-day receptions that will provide opportunity for conference attendees to visit and share their interests in Canadian aviation.

Swissport International Ltd. contract flip may impact up to 150 jobs at Montreal airport

MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2023 /CNW/ – Unifor is concerned that a contract flip that resulted in Swissport losing its contract with Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport will potentially leave up to 150 Unifor members without jobs by the end of June.

“This is a prime example of what’s wrong at Canada’s airports. Contract flipping leads to the chaos we are seeing at airports across the country,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“Each time a contract for an airport service flips, workers are forced to reapply for their job with the new company, often with significant wage cuts and reduced benefits. It impacts workers’ mental health and pulls stability from under their feet. Many workers facing job insecurity find themselves forced to find other work. Airports need look no further than this race to the bottom practice to understand their labour force issues.”

Last week, Unifor Local 2002 were made aware that Swissport lost its contract after the Aéroports de Montréal put out a Request for Proposal (RPF) for ground handlers but left the decision in the hands of a group of airlines operating out of the airport.

The airlines chose three companies – a Quebec-based non-unionized company called, Trans-Sol Aviation Service, and two ground handling companies, Menzies Aviation and French-based Samsic Airport, neither of which have operated out of Montreal airport.

Ground handlers perform above-the-wing work, which is customer service work, check-in, working at the gates and meeting inbound planes. They are also responsible for loading and unloading customer baggage, freight and cargo to the aircraft and delivering passengers’ baggage to and from the aircraft to designated collection/drop off points.

About 50 Local 2002 members working in premium lounges at the airport will not be impacted.

In the past 11 years, the Unifor ground handlers have endured a series of contract flips, buyouts, and employment changes, working for Handlex, Servisair and Swissport.

Unifor has been lobbying the federal government in a public campaign to “Stop Contract Flipping at Canada’s Airports.”

The practice of contract-flipping involves subcontracting out services and changing service providers every few years, as a way to unjustly cut back on employees, reduce and stagnate wages and limit employees’ rights in order for the contracting company to save costs and increase profit.

“The federal government is really sticking its head in the sand and needs to expedite putting a plan together to address the underlying issues that are creating instability in the aviation industry,” said Leslie Dias, Unifor’s Director of Airlines.

“That instability creates precarious work for workers and unpleasant travel experiences for Canadians and international passengers. The current regulations in Canada enables contract flipping to take place, because we have a deregulated air transportation environment that is failing, and this is just another example of that.”

Unifor represents 16,000 members across Canada in the aviation sector, including 550 members who work for Swissport.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

February 23 – National Aviation Day at Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

February 23 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Join us on February 23 for National Aviation Day as we commemorate the past, celebrate the present, and advance the future of aviation in Canada.

11 am – 12 pm: Founders’ talk
Two of our founders, Gord Emberley and Keith Olson, will be on-site to share personal stories and speak about the nearly 50-year history of our museum.

11 am – 3 pm: Boeing booth
Representatives from Boeing Winnipeg will join us for as part of their outreach for Engineering Week, Feb 20-24, 2023.

Their booth will have information on engineering careers with Boeing, an airplane parts “show-and-tell”, and you can win a prize in their paper plane competition

12 pm – 2 pm: Bellanca restoration feature

1:45 pm: Museum tour with Gerry Suski
2:00 pm: Museum tour with Fred Petrie
Join a tour with one of our expert guides and discover 100 years of aviation history.

6 pm – 9 pm: Photography night at the museum — click here to learn more

50% off admission and FREE parking