Every day as thousands take to the skies, Transport Canada's civil aviation specialists are working to keep aviation safe. Transport Canada's aviation safety program is made up of several complementary layers. Each layer provides an additional level of protection to the Canadian public. These layers are certification, training and licensing, monitoring, enforcement, awareness and promotion, and coordination and cooperation with stakeholders.
Certification:
Certification means that operators, airports, aircraft and air navigation service providers have gone through rigorous examinations to confirm that they meet Transport Canada's requirements before becoming an integral part of the air transportation system in Canada.
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Air operators
Air operators require an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) before they can provide commercial air services in Canada. As part of the certification process, the applicant must demonstrate that it has developed an operational and organizational structure in accordance with Transport Canada regulations. Transport Canada approval is also required for key managerial personnel nominated by the company including the director of flight operations, chief pilot and flight attendant manager. Transport Canada must also approve the applicant's proposed operations manual, standard operating procedures, minimum equipment lists, and other required documents. These processes verify the safety of the company before it can transport passengers.
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Airports and aerodromes
Transport Canada is responsible for assessing the safety of airports and aerodromes in Canada before certifying them for operation.
From the large metropolitan airport with several runways, taxiways and sophisticated lighting systems, to the single strip community airfield, safety specialists develop rules, standards and procedures for all aspects of airside safety. This includes determining land use and zoning, as well as evaluating noise and its impact on wildlife and residential communities.
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Aircraft
Transport Canada's engineers verify that aircraft in Canada are designed to meet precise specifications and review the airworthiness of all aircraft components. Certification establishes the aircraft's capability and determines how it can be operated in Canada. Our specialists in maintenance, manufacturing and aircraft certification work closely with industry to develop and apply the design and production standards for all aircraft and aeronautical products produced in Canada. Aircraft certification specialists guide the aviation community in highly technical fields such as aircraft design, structures, avionics, electrical and mechanical systems, power plants, equipment and engineering flight tests.
Aircraft type certification is the process of verifying that an aircraft is in compliance with all applicable design standards and safety regulations. A certificate is issued when the applicant demonstrates that the aircraft type design meets all applicable standards; that no feature or characteristic makes the aircraft unsafe; and that required flight tests have been conducted against these standards.
With the second largest fleet of civil aircraft in the western world - more than 3,000 aircraft - Canada's maintenance and manufacturing specialists develop the maintenance and manufacturing standards for all Canadian-registered aircraft, and certify maintenance and manufacturing organizations, programs and personnel.
- Air Navigation Service Provider
To assist the safe and efficient movement of aircraft, Air navigation and airspace specialists develop the rules governing the use of Canada's airspace and apply these rules to certify air navigation service providers for the safe provision of all air navigation services in Canada. The main service provider is NAV CANADA.
Training and Licensing:
Transport Canada issues permits and licences to aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and pilots, such as airplane, helicopter, ultra-light, gyroplane, glider and balloon pilots. Our specialists also validate foreign pilots' licenses, administer written examinations to flight crews and certify flight training schools.
Canada has the second largest licensed aviator population in the world with more than 60,000 licensed aviators. Trained and skilled flight crews are the hallmark of Canada's aviation industry. Ongoing training maintains the expertise of flight crews to properly fly an aircraft and allows pilots to fully understand their aircraft so they can operate them safely.
Transport Canada’s flight-training specialists monitor and certify aviation training schools and programs. Examination specialists set and administer examinations taken each year by flight crews. Licensing specialists test pilots' flying skills and issue licences.
Transport Canada's medical specialists set the medical standards for aviation personnel, working closely with our licensing specialists. Minimum medical fitness requirements for the various types of licence are broadly defined by international agreement through the International Civil Aviation Organization. Canadian medical requirements honour this agreement, and procedures and standards reflect international standards and recommended practices. Civil aviation medical examiners carry out regular health examinations and make recommendations related to the medical certification of aviators.
Monitoring:
As part of Transport Canada’s oversight program, Transport Canada verifies that Canada’s air operators, aircraft maintenance organizations, manufacturers, airports and aerodromes, and air navigation service providers comply with the rules and regulations for safe operations. Monitoring encompasses many things, from equipment checks, to the verification of personnel qualifications. This is done through detailed inspections, both announced and unannounced, combined with special purpose inspections that build on scheduled surveillance activities.
Transport Canada uses a comprehensive surveillance program, normally conducted on a cycle ranging from six to 36 months. The surveillance cycle and inspection schedules can be extended or shortened depending on a number of risk indicators, including the strength of a company's internal audit program, its regulatory record, and its history of compliance with previous regulatory findings.
Transport Canada has a large and well-qualified team of inspectors who certify, license, inspect and assess the operations of Canadian air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, airport operators and air navigation service providers.
When monitoring, inspecting and assessing, inspectors from every aviation discipline oversee the system to confirm that all required national and international standards are being met. Their inspections and assessments are part of a broad-based regulatory program that includes in-depth review and on-the-spot checks of equipment, systems, operations, documents and personnel qualifications of aviation companies and organizations.
For example, cabin safety specialists monitor cabin safety practices. They conduct pre-flight and in-flight inspections as well as inspect cabin safety training programs, including emergency procedures. This monitoring program also includes incognito cabin inspections to verify that safety briefings by cabin crew meet regulatory standards, that flight crews are following the proper procedures and that required safety equipment is in place.
Dangerous goods specialists monitor the safe handling of dangerous goods by the aviation community against detailed regulations and standards for the labeling, packaging and transportation of dangerous goods.
Civil aviation occupational health and safety specialists monitor the working conditions on board aircraft for air operator employees. They investigate potentially unsafe working conditions and issue preventive and corrective directions for a safe and healthy work environment.
Enforcement:
Transport Canada's civil aviation enforcement program keeps air carriers accountable to Canadians. When a company doesn't meet requirements, Transport Canada takes enforcement action. Through its enforcement activities, Transport Canada helps to maintain the safe and efficient operation of aviation activity in Canada and protects the public from unsafe aviation practices and harmful situations. Enforcement actions can take many forms, including speaking to the company, imposing penalties and, in some cases, suspending a carrier's air operator certificate.
Enforcement officials investigate alleged violations of the Canadian Aviation Regulations and can order immediate corrective action or take appropriate punitive actions when necessary.
Safety Awareness and Promotion:
Communicating aviation safety is another key aspect of the civil aviation program. The goal is to educate and increase awareness of safety issues. Awareness and promotion are the links that allow lessons learned to be shared within Canada's aviation community. Transport Canada communicates through conferences, newsletters, targeted safety advisories, etc. All of these activities are meant to build awareness of safety initiatives and help carriers to continue to operate safely.
Transport Canada promotes safety awareness by communicating directly with all members of the aviation community to relay immediate safety information, and by initiating educational and promotional campaigns to encourage safe practices by aviation professionals in Canada.
One example is the implementation of safety management systems in aviation organizations, which started with the education of the aviation industry. An awareness campaign was developed and sessions have been delivered across the country to various segments of the industry to promote the understanding of safety management systems.
Coordination and cooperation with stakeholders:
Safety is a shared responsibility. Everyone plays a role in safety, from passengers paying attention to pre-flight safety instructions, to maintenance workers carrying out aircraft repairs properly, to pilots conducting safety checks before take-off.
Transport Canada emphasizes the consultative approach with the aviation community to help promote a safety culture. Aviation safety depends on ongoing communication and dialogue on safety management issues between stakeholder groups in both industry and government.
Ultimately, understanding and applying the rules is the responsibility of everyone involved in aviation. The main mechanism to support this process is the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC). Created and supported by Transport Canada, CARAC is a joint initiative between government and the aviation community - including air operators, aviation labour organizations, manufacturers, industry associations and groups representing the public. Its primary goal is to assess and recommend potential changes to Canada's aviation regulations and standards. Members of the aviation community are encouraged to participate in CARAC's numerous regulatory meetings and technical working groups.
Dialogue between Canadian aviation executives and key decision-makers is key to enhancing aviation safety in Canada. The Canadian Aviation Executives' Safety Network is a forum for this purpose. Transport Canada also maintains professional relationships with a variety of international organizations. The department participates in bilateral and international working groups to harmonize technical and operational standards, to simplify processes through bilateral agreements, and to develop common safety standards.
The continuing safety of Canada's aviation system depends upon Transport Canada's ongoing coordination and cooperation with a variety of domestic and international organizations concerned with aviation safety. These include the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the European Joint Aviation Authorities and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Together, these organizations set the international guidelines and standards for safe air transportation.
December 2011
