Ottawa, ON, August 14, 2020

The Canadian Airports Council welcomes Minister Garneau’s release of Flight Plan for Navigating COVID-19 (Canada’s Flight Plan), the foundation for Canada’s current and future efforts to reduce the public health risks of COVID-19 while travelling by aircraft, especially important when jurisdictions both within Canada and beyond begin to lift travel restrictions.

“The health, safety, and security of our travellers and workers is always our number one priority,” said CAC president Daniel-Robert Gooch. “Flight Plan captures all the measures industry is taking, including enhanced cleaning protocols, ensuring physical distancing and modifying the services offered at airports.”

Flight Plan recognizes the advances airports have already made with investments in the implementation of internationally recognized bio-security processes and protocols and the further development of best practices.

Since the outset of this pandemic, airports have been deeply and collaboratively engaged with our colleagues in multiple government departments (Transport Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, CATSA, Finance Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, US Customs and Border Protection) to ensure that aviation is as healthy and as safe a mode of transportation as possible.

The Government of Canada has worked with public health authorities, counterparts around the world, and industry partners, including Canada’s airports, to develop a plan for COVID safety in air travel that is aligned to emerging global safety standards and best practices, including the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) and its accompanying ‘Take-Off’ guidance for international aviation released in May.

“I think Flight Plan will reassure the public that all stakeholders in the air travel process are doing everything possible to ensure their health, safety and security,” said Gooch. “Airports are committed to working with all levels of government to reinvigorate air travel while rebuilding public trust in the industry.”

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About the Canadian Airports Council

 

The Canadian Airports Council (CAC), a division of Airports Council International-North America, is the voice for Canada’s airports community. Its 54 members represent more than 100 airports, including all of the privately operated National Airports System (NAS) airports and many municipal airports across Canada.

 

Prior to the pandemic, Canada’s airports supported nearly 200,000 jobs, generating $13 billion in wages and $7 billion in taxes to all levels of government.

 

For more information, please contact:

Debra Ward
Canadian Airports Council
613 850 9118
debra.ward@cacairports.ca