Dear Mr. Badawey and Members of the TRAN:
As the Standing Committee completes its study on the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation sector, the undersigned aviation organizations would like to thank you and the Committee for your work over the past several months. As you heard from numerous witnesses since your study began, the pandemic and the economic chaos it has created has had a severe and debilitating impact on the sector, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Each of our organizations appeared before the Committee during the course of your study. We would like to take this opportunity to collectively propose that the following recommendations be included in the Committee’s report to Parliament. 

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Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced the launch of the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program, or HASCAP.

HASCAP is available to businesses across the country, in all sectors, that have been hit hard by the pandemic. This includes restaurants, businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and those that rely on in-person service.

Eligible businesses can start applying as early as February 1 at principal financial institutions and more widely by February 15. Interested businesses should contact their primary lender to get more information and to apply.

See news release

The Air Transport Association of Canada, which has represented this country’s commercial air transport industry since 1934 with members engaged in all levels of commercial aviation operating in every region of Canada, warmly welcomes Omar Alghabra as Canada’s new Minister of Transport. 

“We look forward to a constructive collaboration with the Minister, especially in this critical time for our industry and the future of air travel in Canada as a whole. ATAC members play a vital role in connecting Canadian communities large and small to each other, and the world. The Minister must show leadership by getting the Government to act now in order to stabilize the industry and recognize aviation as a key economic enabler. Failing to do so would directly undermine any future recovery strategy for the Canadian air transport industry and thus impede overall economic recovery for Canada in general”, declared ATAC President John McKenna. 

ATAC is hoping to meet Minister Alghabra in the very near future. 

See Welcome letter to new Minister