Speaking notes for the Honourable Marc Garneau Minister of Transport: Announcement of the type certification of the Bombardier "C" Series aircraft

Speech

Montreal, Quebec
December 18, 2015

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Thank you for inviting me to join you today.

My functions at the Canadian Space Agency and my current duties as Minister of Transport have shown me just how important Bombardier is, both in Quebec and in Canada as a whole.

The company that Armand Bombardier founded in 1942, which first made snowmobiles, now also builds aircraft.

And this company has reached another important milestone today.

I am pleased to confirm that Transport Canada will be issuing type certification for C Series aircraft.

This is a big day. Major projects like the certification of Bombardier's C Series don't come along very often.

This means that, after a careful examination of the C-Series design, production and assembly, the department approves the design, airworthiness limitations and operating conditions of the aircraft.

This achievement demonstrates the contributions of this company and this sector.

To customers around the world, Canadian aerospace products have a well-deserved global reputation for quality, value and reliability. Canadian aerospace companies, such as Bombardier, build more aircraft and components. They help to build our economy.

Our aerospace sector is the third largest in the world.

Every year it injects over $29 billion in the Canadian economy and helps create some 180,000 jobs.

And nearly 80 percent of this production is exported.

This is why the government is committed to strengthening Canada's manufacturing sector, including the aerospace sector. I would also like to note that the large number of aerospace companies in the Montreal area is one of the reasons why the ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, keeps its headquarters in Montreal.

So, companies, such as Bombardier, also help to support Canada's work in transportation around the world.

Before I close, I want to come back and focus on what we have achieved at this stage of certification.

Today's announcement marks an historic moment for Canadian aerospace, for Bombardier and for the government.

Certification is truly a joint effort. Transport Canada is actively involved any time a manufacturer produces a new aircraft.

As Minister of Transport, two of my top priorities are safe and clean transportation, and this new aircraft embodies these elements.

As Canada has signed bilateral safety agreements with foreign organizations such as the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, we have to issue certifications that they recognize.

We therefore assigned over 60 Transport Canada employees to the C Series project over the past six years.

I would like to recognize their efforts and, of course, the efforts of the hundreds of Bombardier employees involved.

Ladies and gentlemen, the C Series are safe and sustainable aircraft that will help attain the environmental targets that Canada recently set in Paris.

The C Series is a valuable asset to air transport for the entire wold.

I look forward to seeing the contribution the C Series will make to supporting Canada's place in the global aerospace market.

Thank you again for inviting me to join you today.


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