Thank you.
Last week this committee heard from our union partners, who are united in their advocacy of measures to allow Canadians to safely resume travel. We are not seeking a policy that strictly supports our bottom line. We are seeking a framework that will lower the cost of travel for Canadian families, introduce green credits for fuel efficient aircraft and ensure that Canada has a competitive global airline based in western Canada.
There are two main priorities we recommend that this committee include in your final report. The first is that, given global uncertainty, Canada must prioritize domestic travel and negotiate a transparent and clear policy with provincial governments. This could be based on COVID levels or a percentage of the population vaccinated. We believe this should be a priority item for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Minister of Tourism. Canadians should be able to see their country this summer safely.
Second, we recommend that you transition the Alberta pilot project into national policy and include funding for this in the upcoming federal budget. The relationship between testing and quarantine requirements must evolve, and we note the Prime Minister's commitment to work on this.
In closing, I have a few brief comments about the proposed Air Canada-Air Transat merger, as it has been a subject of interest for members. Like the Competition Bureau and other consumer groups, WestJet has grave concerns about this. Air Canada and Air Transat are number one and two for the trans-Atlantic market—