Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.
The motion before us gives me the opportunity to speak about Bombardier's C Series aircraft. I will delve further into the technical details of an approval and show how Bombardier gets its certification.
On December 18, the hon. Minister of Transport announced that Bombardier had finally obtained certification for its C Series aircraft. This certification represents Transport Canada's approval of the design, airworthiness limitations, and operating conditions for the aircraft. Certification requires an exhaustive review of the design in order to verify that it meets airworthiness standards and environmental regulations.
Bombardier can now take the final steps to deliver C Series aircraft to clients around the world, such as obtaining international approvals and training staff. Although Transport Canada's main role in this area is to ensure air safety, it is also closely involved in the financial success of the aerospace industry. Obtaining certification was vital to Bombardier's operational needs and to support ongoing activities required for entry into service of the aircraft in the summer of 2016.
Swissair is the first of many European airlines that will receive deliveries in 2016. Air Canada also recently confirmed that it has ordered Bombardier aircraft. Since these planes are built in Canada, Transport Canada is responsible for determining the airworthiness of Bombardier's aircraft, in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
There is still much work to be done before the aircraft will be ready for service. However, the department takes its responsibilities seriously and is actively working with Bombardier to keep the process moving. The C-Series project was an important achievement, the result of excellent co-operation among Transport Canada and Bombardier officials. In addition to the work being done by Transport Canada, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, or EASA, are also validating the Canadian certification.
These validations are required before the aircraft can be put into service. The EASA validation is especially important, since the first flight will fall under its jurisdiction. In order to simplify this process, Transport Canada is in talks with other agencies to reduce the involvement of the validation authorities by taking advantage of existing bilateral agreements. In September 2015, these agencies met in Brazil, and their meeting was key to moving this initiative forward. Work is under way to move forward with the procedures subject to these bilateral agreements, and this will require agencies from around the world to work together.
It is a constant challenge to adapt new aircraft technologies and the evolving certification process to the existing regulatory structure. As a result, international agencies must work closely to keep the aircraft design and manufacturing industry on a level playing field. Transport Canada's involvement and expertise are essential in maintaining Canada's status as a key player in the global aerospace industry.
The expertise required to approve aeronautical products at Transport Canada is very specialized. There are engineers who specialize in various fields, from cell structure to quality assurance to software design, as well as test pilots and qualified flight test engineers. The certification of the C Series is supported by a team of approximately 61 experts at Transport Canada.
Ministerial delegation is another essential aspect of the aircraft certification program. Approximately 450 ministerial delegates are qualified to make findings of compliance with design standards. Transport Canada experts work with these delegates in an oversight capacity. The delegates play an important role in the certification of the C Series. The certification of any product involves a comprehensive examination of the design to verify that the product complies with its basis of certification; that is, the applicable airworthiness standards and environmental regulations with which the product must comply.
There are five phases in the process. In phase one, the applicant applies for the type certificate, and provides details of the product design. Transport Canada establishes the certification basis.
In phase two, the applicant and Transport Canada agree on a certification plan that describes the means and methods to be used in showing compliance with the basis and the involvement of the certification team members.
In phase three, the product is built and tested, reports are written, compliance documents are reviewed for acceptability as documenting compliance, and the supporting approval documents are prepared. After the flight test phase, inspectors visit the manufacturer periodically in order to ensure that aircraft production and assembly comply with regulations.
In phase four, which is based on the compliance demonstration in phase three, the design, airworthiness limitations, and operating conditions are approved, and the type certificate is issued.
Finally, in phase five, the product enters service and any post-certification design changes made by the type certificate holder are incorporated.
For the C Series, the process took over five years, and many, many hours were needed to ensure its success. After the type certification and commissioning, Transport Canada is responsible for monitoring the safety performance of the aircraft in the fleet. If there are any safety concerns, Transport Canada must take the necessary measures to ensure the continued airworthiness of the product. This can range from mandatory inspections to a requirement to replace a defective part, or in some cases, prohibiting an aircraft from flying until the cause of the safety concern is better understood.
Canada has one of the safest air transportation systems in the world. Over the last decade, we have seen a steady decline in the accident rate. Our safety record contributes to our international reputation as a world leader in aviation safety. This allows us to promote our aviation safety program and the interests of our air industry around the globe. Our safety record provides a solid foundation for promoting Canadian products wherever they are used.
Our vision of air safety in Canada is one in which improvements are made at every level, where safety is not the sole responsibility of one particular sector of the aviation industry, but rather the responsibility of all of its members, and where the regulatory body is part of the culture of safety and rounds out an already robust and progressive safety system.
That is how Transport Canada envisions the growth of Canada's aviation industry. After all, in order for the growth to be sustainable, it must be safe.
The aviation community did not hesitate to rise to the challenge to make the business of flying safer than ever before and deserving of the trust that Canadians continue to put in the safety of air operations in Canada.
