OTTAWA, ON – Stephanie Kusie, Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, issued the following statement:

“Today, Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau government to take action and support Canadians who work for and rely on the aviation sector. Aviation workers are going into the Christmas travel season with no certainty and no plan from the Liberal government about the future of their jobs.

“Thousands of Canadian jobs depend on passengers having confidence to return to the skies. Unfortunately, the Trudeau Liberals have failed to ensure rapid testing is available to allow for the safe restart of air travel.

“For months, the Liberal Transport Minister has been promising Canadians that support is coming, but Canadians continue to see nothing. Airline workers, air traffic controllers, travel agents, pilots, airport service workers, flight attendants, and others who rely on the aviation sector don’t need more empty promises. They need certainty and a plan to return to normal.

“Just yesterday, Canadians learned that, because of the Trudeau Liberals’ failure to support the aviation sector, flights to airports in Penticton, Sydney, Saint John, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Deer Lake and Halifax have been reduced or cut entirely. These cuts not only affect the workers who service these airports and airlines, but hurt the rotational workers, university students, and families who rely on these routes.

“Canadians who work and rely on the aviation sector need a plan that:

• Restores Canada’s regional routes;
• Ensures passengers receive refunds for cancelled flights;
• Doesn’t claw back travel agents’ commissions;
• Ensures NAV Canada maintains adequate service levels for air traffic controls;
• Restarts air travel with robust rapid testing at airports, which would allow for the gradual phase out of the current 14-day quarantine period, based on evidence and results from ongoing pilot projects; and
• Outlines when every Canadian will have access to a vaccine.

“As Canadians go into the holiday season, Conservatives are urging the Trudeau government to act quickly and outline a clear plan for air travel to safely restart. Conservatives will continue to advocate for the certainty, clarity, and competence that airline workers and those who rely on the aviation sector deserve from their government.”

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For more information:

Office of Stephanie Kusie, MP
Stephanie.Kusie.a1@parl.gc.ca
613-992-2235