Down-to-the-Wire on Flight & Duty Times

As you know, the Minister has declared that he intends to publish the draft Flight & Duty Time Regulations in Canada Gazette II at the end of June – in fact, he recently suggested that he intends to publish even earlier - in mid-June.  HAC and its eight Coalition partners have been keeping the pressure on, and we know that there are many operators that have raised concerns with him directly, or through their Members of Parliament. We also know that some of your customers, and many of his party colleagues have also urged him to pause long enough to develop industry sector-specific solutions. These regulations hurt everyone, but particularly Northern, Remote, and Indigenous communities. If you haven’t connected with your Member of Parliament – then you need to make that connection right now. We can’t keep our powder dry any longer. Tell them how much these regulations will harm your business, and the customers and communities that you serve.  Tell them how these regulations will drive you to hire 30-40% more pilots (if they were available to hire), and how these regulations may drive the price of your air service beyond the reach of some of the communities that depend on helicopters as a lifeline – ad hoc or dedicated MEDEVAC services, and services to Northern communities during freeze-up and break-up, for example.  This time when you connect with your MP, don’t write a letter – pick up the phone and call them in Ottawa, and insist that you speak to them on this urgent matter. Time is of the essence, and you are one of their constituents, and your business means jobs in their Riding. What’s more, the next Federal Election is just over a year away, and all of the Parties are already girding for battle. So, if you are in a Liberal Riding, but particularly if your Member is Conservative, the proverbial gloves-are-off on this issue. Tell them how you really feel. Time is running out. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact fred.jones@h-a-c.ca.