Transport Canada COVID-19 Aviation Weekly Update – Week of March 30, 2020 / Mise à jour hebdomadaire COVID-19 Aviation de Transports Canada – semaine du 30 mars 2020

 

Transport Canada COVID-19 Aviation Weekly Update – Week of March 30, 2020

Mise à jour hebdomadaire COVID-19 Aviation de Transports Canada – semaine du 30 mars 2020

In this Issue:   ·         Interim Order and Guidance Material   ·         Aviation and COVID-19: Measures, Guidance and Support – Week of March 30, 2020   ·         Regulatory exemptions issued   ·         Letter to Associations – Essential Services   ·          Restrictions Poster     ·         Consultation Periods Extended   ·         Approved Check Pilot / Advanced Qualification Program   ·         Internal Process Bulletins   ·         Upcoming exemptions and guidance

Dans cette édition :   ·         Arrêté d’urgence et Matériel d’orientation   ·         Aviation et COVID-19: mesures, directives et soutien – semaine du 30 mars 2020   ·         Exemptions réglementaires accordées   ·         Lettre aux associations – services essentiels   ·         Affiches des mesures concernant les restrictions   ·         Période de consultation   ·         Programme de pilote vérificateur agréé     ·         Bulletins Interne de Procédures   ·         Exemptions et directives à venir

 

 

 

Aviation and COVID-19: Measures, Guidance and Support – Week of March 30, 2020 [Back to the Menu]

 

Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments have all been taking action to stop the spread of COVID-19. The landscape is evolving quickly and I know that this has raised many questions and challenges for aviation in Canada.

 

Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) recognizes these challenges you are encountering during these unprecedented times, and has been working to put measures in place to provide some relief to you, our stakeholders, while managing safety risks.

Interim Order and Guidance Material [Back to the Menu]

For more information on this week’s new Interim Order, consult the Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights in Canada due to COVID-19.

 

To provide guidance to air operators regarding their duties during the COVID-19 situation, the Guidance Material for Air Carriers Managing Travellers during the Check-In Procedure at Transborder (U.S.) Airport was issued by the Minister of Transport. Similarly, the Guidance Material for Air Operators Managing Travellers during the Check-In Procedure for Flights Departing from an Aerodrome in Canada and the Guidance material for air carriers managing travelers during the check-in procedure at international airports seeks to provide additional guidance to air operators. Finally, AC 603-001, issue 04 – Special Authorization for Night Vision Imaging Systems Operations will soon be made available online.

 

The COVID-19 Guidance for the Canadian Aviation Industry has been updated from the previous document shared with you on Friday, March 27^th.

For more information on new transportation measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spreading domestically, visit the Government of Canada news release on the new domestic transportation measures.

This week, the following COVID-19 related exemptions to the Canadian Aviation Regulations have been issued by Transport Canada: [Back to the Menu]

• NCR-008-2019 – private operators, entering or leaving an aircraft in flight operations and a landing or take-off at an aerodrome in VFR at night
• NCR-025-2019 – Canadian air operators and their flight crew members, conducting night VFR operations while using NVIS
• NCR-026-2019 – Canadian air operators and their flight crew members, conducting night VFR operations while using NVIS
• NCR-027-2019 – Canadian air operators and their flight crew members, conducting night VFR operations while using NVIS
• NCR-028-2019 – Canadian air operators and their flight crew members, conducting night VFR operations while using NVIS
• NCR-031-2020 – Canadian airport operators – Testing of the Emergency Plan
• NCR-032-2020 – Canadian air operators conducting flight operations under Subpart 4 of Part VII
• NCR-033-2019 – Canadian air operators conducting operations under Subpart 704 of the CARs utilizing propeller driven aeroplane types, training time requirements for aeroplanes that are certificated for 20 or more passenger seats
• NCR-033-2020 – Emergency Underwater Breathing Apparatus (EUBA) Training – helicopter air operators and flight crew conducting flight operations under Subparts 702, 703 and 704  
• NCR-034-2019 – Holder of a flight crew permit, licence or rating, other than the holder of a flight engineer licence, operating pursuant to Subpart 4 of Part VI of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) or pursuant to Subparts 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Part VII of the CARs, requirements of clause 401.05 (2)(b)(i)(B) of the CARs
• NCR-035-2020 – Specific to air operators operating medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) flights departing an aerodrome in Canada
• NCR-036-2020 – Canadian air operators conducting flight operations under Subpart 3 of Part VII of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs)
• NCR-037-2020 – Canadian air operators conducting flight operations under Subpart 5 of Part VII
• NCR-038-2020 – Canadian air operators, Extension of the validity period of flight attendant
• NCR-039-2020 – private operators conducting flight operations under Subpart 4 of Part VI of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs)

For the extended list of recent COVID 19 regulatory activities, please consult the aviation section on Transport Canada’s webpage for COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance issued by Transport Canada

TCCA continues to work towards the issuance of additional exemption and guidance. Upcoming TCCA exemption activity, include:

• Exemptions related to aerodromes and firefighting, specifically 1) Exemption for the reduction in the Category, and 2) Exemption for the temporary cessation of Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) at designated and participating airports due to severe reduction in passenger numbers (below 180 000)
• Holders of aviation booklets CAR 402.11
• Incapacitated flight attendant CAR 705.221(1)
• Future exemptions that will address one off exemption requests, or other COVID-19 related industry needs that may have been overlooked.

Letter to Associations – Essential Services [Back to the Menu]

Transportation is deemed essential in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Transport Canada has identified essential employees in the aviation industry for the continued safe movement of goods, services and people, including for the repatriation of Canadians abroad. The letter to the aviation industry will provide advisory guidance to the Canadian aviation industry on essential employees in the context of the COVID-19 situation. The list remains advisory in nature and may be amended, updated or modified based on the evolution of the current situation.

Restrictions Poster [Back to the Menu]

To illustrate the measures that Canada has taken in light of COVID-19, several restrictions posters were published. These include Travelling by Air in Canada, Travelling by Air Overseas and Travelling by Air from the U.S./Transborder.

Consultation Period Extended [Back to the Menu]

Given the current situation with the COVID-19 virus, Transport Canada is extending the consultation period for the Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Parts I, III and VI – Runway End Safety Area (RESA). You can now provide your comments in writing to CARRAC@tc.gc.ca until May 8^th, 2020.

• Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Parts I, III and VI  – Runway End Safety Area (RESA))

In addition, TC has extended the consultation period for the following Notices of Proposed Amendments (NPAs) part of the codification of existing exemptions initiative.  You can now provide your comments in writing to CARRAC@tc.gc.ca until May 1^st, 2020.

• Survival equipment (NPA #2020-001)
• First Aid Kits (NPA#2020-002)
• First aid training for flight attendants (NPA#2020-003)
• Stowage of life infant preservers (NPA#2020-004)
• Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS) standard (NPA#2020-005)
• Aircraft deicing (NPA#2020-006)
• Demonstration of emergency evacuation procedures (NPA#2020-007)
• Sightseeing operations (NPA#2020-008)
• Crew resources management (NPA#2020-009)
• Minimum training time requirements for multi-engine (ME) turbine powered (propeller driven) aeroplanes (NPA#2020-010)
• Safety briefings (NPA#2020-011)

Transport Canada has taken these measures in order to assist you during these exceptional circumstances. We look forward to continue our collaboration with you and appreciate all your efforts in mitigating impacts of COVID-19 in Canada.

Approved Check Pilot (ACP) / Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) Evaluator Bulletin [Back to the Menu]

On March 30, 2020, Transport Canada published a revised version of the Approved Check Pilot (ACP) / Advanced Qualifications Program (AQP) Bulletin, which lists extensions to various training requirements. The bulletin may be revised periodically in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation.

The following Internal Process Bulletins have been issued by Transport Canada [Back to the Menu]

• IPB 2020-02 – Interim changes for the delivery of basic training programs by Approved Training Organizations made necessary by COVID-19 disruptions
• IPB 2020-03 – Use of FAA Part 145 Repair Stations without an FAA accepted TCCA supplement
• IPB 2020-04 – Transport Canada Civil Aviation Surveillance During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic