Minister of Transport outlines Safer Skies Strategy to improve aviation safety over conflict zones

March 5, 2020               Ottawa               Transport Canada

When people are travelling from one part of the world to another, they should not have to worry about preventable danger. Where there are conflict zones, civilians should not be placed at risk.

At the Aviation Summit in Washington, D.C., today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, highlighted Canada’s aviation security leadership with a new, global Safer Skies Strategy. As announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Munich Security Conference last month, this new initiative aims to improve aviation safety over or near conflict zones to prevent future tragedies.

Canada continues to mourn the lives lost on January 8, 2020, when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran, Iran. Many of the 176 people who perished were Canadian. Others had close ties to Canada. Canada is committed to working with partners, including key countries, airlines, and the International Civil Aviation Organization to enhance the safety level in conflict zones.

The Safer Skies Strategy builds on the important work of the Netherlands and International Civil Aviation Organization efforts following the 2014 downing of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17. This new initiative seeks to establish a common set of practices for sharing information and issuing warnings and restrictions, as well as enhancing the aviation industry’s risk-management practices.

To achieve these objectives, Canada will lead efforts amongst partner countries to work together to better share information, warnings and directions for avoiding dangerous airspace, and improve airlines’ safety protocols and operational practices.