Evidence of meeting #44 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was aveos.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Louise-Hélène Sénécal  Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada
Michel Bissonnette  Senior Director, Engines and Airframe Maintenance, Air Canada
Joseph Galimberti  Director, Government Relations, Air Canada

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

You therefore are maintaining operational and overhaul centres in those three cities.

11:20 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

And Aveos...

11:20 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

...is complying with those provisions.

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

And what is Aveos doing? What did you sell? Are these operational centres? What does Aveos do? Are we talking about operational centres or overhaul centres?

11:20 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

These are overhaul centres.

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Air Canada still has overhaul centres.

11:20 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

Air Canada is currently complying with the act.

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Answer my question.

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Aveos has overhaul centres. Their main client is Air Canada.

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

You are telling me that Air Canada is complying. Therefore, Air Canada has operational and overhaul centres in those three cities. Is that correct?

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

Air Canada is under the obligation to include provisions that provide for that in its articles. Air Canada is fully compliant with its legal obligations. I would draw your attention to the amount of business we gave Aveos.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Mr. Bissonnette, how many employees work in Air Canada's overhaul centres?

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

I did not tell you that Air Canada has overhaul centres.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Yes, you just told me that.

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

No, I told you that we were compliant with the act and that we outsource much of our business.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

You comply with the legislation under which Air Canada has operational and overhaul centres. You told me that you were compliant with the act, perfect.

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

That is not provided for by the act.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

I am too young to have Alzheimer's. I told you that Aveos does overhaul work, but I asked you a question. Aveos' main client is Air Canada. I want to know how many employees do overhaul work and are paid by Air Canada. We have to understand each other.

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

There are 1,500 Air Canada employees in Air Canada's operational centres. I am not talking about Aveos.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

When we are talking about operational centres, we mean, for example, that the plane goes into the hangar, stays for a day or two, the tires are changed and the engines oiled. That is the sort of maintenance that is done in the garage. Those are the operational centres and they have 1,500 employees.

The act states that you must maintain overhaul centres. There are 1,500 employees in the operational centres, fine, but how many Air Canada employees are in the overhaul centres that you must maintain as stated in the act?

11:25 a.m.

Assistant General Counsel, Law Branch, Air Canada

Louise-Hélène Sénécal

Mr. Guimond, I would ask you to read the act's provisions; they do not give a minimum number. However, we must maintain this in our articles. Our articles include those provisions. There are different ways of meeting our obligations and this is written in our articles.

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

The act contains provisions under which operational centres must be maintained in the cities of Winnipeg, Mississauga and Montreal, and overhaul centres must be maintained in the cities of Winnipeg, Mississauga and Montreal. How many Air Canada employees are there in the overhaul centres in those three cities? It is a clear question. You mentioned 1,500, that is true. There are even 1,503 and I could give you the list, I could even give you the names.