COVID-19 has affected our industry so profoundly it’s hard to write about anything else. The disease has put our industry to the test in so many ways. Many operators are struggling with a crisis that occurred at the weakest point in their business cycle. Most operators keep many of their operational staff on for the winter months, and everyone was coming off heavy winter maintenance in preparation for a busy operating season.
For many, the initial shock and disbelief turned to layoffs – for some as high as 80 per cent, while operators adopted a wait-and-see approach, but at the same time battened-down-the-hatches. Early-season charters ground to a halt, and many contracts were delayed or canceled altogether.
Traditional Spring rituals in our industry suddenly became difficult or impossible to carry out. Training in groups was unwise and travel became very difficult or impossible – particularly for out-of-country training but also for interprovincial travel.
Some provinces were insisting on 14-day self-isolation, for interprovincial travel – even for flight crews. Some provinces refused to recognize the essential nature of helicopter services.
Transport Canada immediately started holding thrice-weekly teleconferences with associations and operators – sometimes with more than 200 participants, as we all came to grips with the problems that most urgently needed to be addressed. Transport Canada has been remarkably responsive to the concerns of industry in this crisis. It has extended the validity of medicals, PPCs and virtually all elements of annual recurrent training – both ground and flight training.
Working cooperatively with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Transport Canada developed guidelines for flight crew to help prevent the spread of COVID-19; and, working cooperatively with the provinces, it developed a shared definition of essential services, that is allowing our crews, now, to move more freely across Canada.
The national and provincial associations are playing a central role as the conduit for information to – and from – Transport Canada. As of April 6, while the government has released details relating to wage subsidies and access to preferential loans for businesses, there has yet to be an announcement of any extraordinary relief for commercial air operators. The Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC) has asked for a 90 per cent wage subsidy for the next three months as we struggle through the early season. Our operators need to survive in order to continue to provide essential services.
There is currently no end in sight to COVID-19 and it will certainly continue to impact the financial viability of our industry even after the health crisis itself subsides. Like many others, I watch as the daily new cases in Canada continue to rise, even in the face of mandatory self-isolation, and business closures. This isn’t over, yet – not by a long-shot.
As we enter the ice break-up season, and the fire season, coupled with the very real potential that our provincially funded Medevac services will become overwhelmed by the demand for their services, it is clear that the air-taxi community will be relied upon to provide additional services to northern and remote communities. They will be asked to fly medical crews and supplies to these communities, and may also be asked to fly asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals out of those communities to the south, where they can receive treatment.
I hear operators and pilots concerned about protecting flight crews from the risk of infection. HAC has called upon the federal government to develop and implement even more strict health guidelines and protocols that will help further mitigate the risk of transmission to our flight crews and other employees.
The importance of close communication between our regulator and industry has never been more essential. I would add that the importance of communication with your association has never been more important.
HAC and other associations are communicating with their members and Transport Canada on a daily basis. We need to know from our members what it is that they require to ensure business continuity. Your association can take that message back to the appropriate level of government; and, for the most part, we know that those requests are being positively received. I can be contacted by email at fred.jones@h-a-c.ca or on my cell at 613-884-1422 at any time, for issues relating to coronavirus. Stay healthy, and we will get through this, together.