April 7, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
Posted on April 7, 2020 by Dr. Suzanne Kearns
This article originally appeared in The Hill Times and is published here with the permission of the author.
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged Canadians to adapt their way of life. Aviation professionals are playing a vital role in preserving societal functioning, with airlines volunteering to repatriate Canadians abroad, crew members risking exposure to reunite travellers with their families, and cargo operations playing a vital role in the supply chain – distributing essential medical supplies.
These critical activities are only possible because of the work of the entire aviation sector that includes maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, airport professionals, and so many others.
In 2019 airlines carried 4.3 billion passengers, 58 million tonnes of freight, and supported 65.5 million jobs around the world (3.6 per cent of the world's gross domestic product according to the Aviation Benefits Report). The tourism sector is interconnected with aviation, supporting a further 37 million tourism-related jobs.
The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation industry in ways that were unfathomable at the beginning of this year. International aviation had been on a growth trajectory, with traffic projected to double in the coming 15 years. As 2020 began, some of the most pressing industry challenges were how to meet the demand for aviation professionals and achieve emission-reduction targets towards environmental sustainability.
Aviation has always been a cyclical industry directly and rapidly impacted by downturns in the economy. The industry reported losses in the early 1990s due to the recession and again in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks; in 2003 following the SARS epidemic, and in 2008 linked to the financial crisis. Each of these downturns was followed by a period of economic recovery.
Looking specifically at SARS, airlines lost $6 billion in revenues with the outbreak's economic impact having a V-shape where the rapid decline was matched by a speedy economic recovery.
Despite the airline industry's cyclical nature it has maintained profitability for the past 10 years, with a profit of $25.9 billion in 2019 despite recent tragedies and challenges, according to IATA. For example, the sector faced the 737 Max accidents in 2018 and 2019, the Ukraine Airlines Flight 752 shot down in Iran, and the emergence of “flygskam” flight shaming air travel due to its emissions. Each of these events impacts passenger confidence in aviation, and many industry experts were bracing for an economic decline as a result.
The industry maintaining profitability over the last decade is a testament to its strength and resilience.
The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation sector in new ways. The entire industry is being stretched to a breaking point, without interventions, it can not survive the crisis.
Assuming travel restrictions are lifted after three months, 2020's passenger demand will be 38 per cent less than 2019, resulting in an impact of USD$ 252 billion according to IATA. Airports are projected to lose $46 billion in 2020, said Airport Council International (ACI). Although previous pandemics were followed by a sharp recovery, they did not cause recessions as COVID-19 might.
This has led to three critical questions about the future of international aviation.
The most pressing need for aviation is essential financial support through the pandemic, and in the coming months as society faces future waves of the virus. Beyond support to operators, it is critical to recognize that this situation also creates an opportunity to reflect upon and innovate practices within the industry.
We will overcome this challenge, and hopefully build a better future. Key priorities during this time should explore how to mobilize Canada's innovation and research infrastructure towards aviation challenges. We have leading researchers in sustainability, cognitive science and engineering, material science, machine learning, automation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence among other areas. We are in a position to apply Canadian expertise towards aviation innovations, as important elements of our economic recovery strategy.
What is certain is that COVID-19 will change the world – what is unknown is how we can learn from this to create a stronger and more resilient future together.
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/covid-19-and-aviation-survival-recovery-and-innovation
July 10, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
The federal government still hopes Canadian firms will be able to receive contacts maintaining the F-35 for other nations.
August 18, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
by Gareth Jennings Icarus Aerospace has revealed a clean sheet design for an optionally-piloted armed overwatch and light strike aircraft that can also be adapted into mid/high-altitude long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform. The Canadian company revealed designs for the Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) light strike and derived Branta ISR platform in August, with the former described as “a force multiplier for the world's security and armed forces”, and the latter as “the next logical step in [the] evolution of modern drones and reconnaissance aircraft”. In terms of the twin-turboprop TAV (named Wasp in its full-up military guise), Icarus boasts a mission-specialised swing-role platform that will be capable of operating in austere locations with 90% of the mission capability rate of a modern combat jet with just 15% of the costs. Limited details revealed to date show the platform has up to three times the electrical-power generation capabilities as its contemporaries, is capable of aerial refuelling, has the highest payload and fastest cruise speed in its class, an optional 360° active electronically scanned-array (AESA) radar provided by Leonardo, as well as a network centric capability that enables a swarming capability. “[The TAV is] a perfect and affordable plug-and-play solution, replacing and outperforming ageing and near obsolete fleets of more expensive helicopters, aircraft, and drones,” the company said. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/icarus-aerospace-reveals-clean-sheet-light-attack-and-isr-designs
February 12, 2018 | Local, Security
The Canadian Forces is buying kits that will let its leaders experience what it's like to be stoned on marijuana. The “marijuana simulation kits” will include “marijuana impairment goggles,” among other items. The Canadian Forces wants to acquire 26 of the kits by April 30 or sooner if possible. “The purpose of the Marijuana Simulation Kits is to raise awareness of marijuana impairment, reduce risk of marijuana impairment, and promote healthy lifestyles within the Canadian Armed Forces,” companies who want to bid on the contract were told. “The marijuana impairment goggles, which is one of the several items included in the Marijuana Simulation Kit, allows users to experience first-hand, the deficits marijuana creates on the body.” Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said Friday that the kits will be used in the Military Personnel Command's supervisor training course. “This will help ensure that CAF members in leadership positions will be able to identify signs of, assist in detecting and provide guidance regarding, prohibited drug use,” he said. The value of the contract will only be known once bids are received, evaluated and a contract is awarded, but it is estimated at up to $170,000 over five years. The Liberal government intends to make the use of recreational marijuana legal by the summer. CBC reported this week that a Statistics Canada survey found Canadians pay an average of less than $7 a gram for pot. The kits may also be used at National Defence health fairs, community events, kiosks or other events to educate other military members, families and the public about the impact of marijuana on cognitive functioning, Le Bouthillier said. A number of firms make such devices. In 2015, Innocorp Ltd. in the U.S. unveiled green-tinted goggles that simulate “the distorted processing of visual information, loss of motor co-ordination, and slowed decision-making and reaction time resulting from recreational marijuana use.” Some police departments in the U.S. already use marijuana impairment kits for training. Participants wearing the goggles will experience the simulated effects resulting from recreational marijuana use, such as distorted processing of visual information, slower decision-making and loss of motor coordination, Le Bouthillier said. The training could include exercises such as ball tossing, simulated driving and other means of demonstrating the effect on reaction time. Le Bouthiller said the military currently uses alcohol impairment goggles in similar courses for military leaders. http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/military-to-spend-170000-so-leaders-can-see-what-its-like-to-be-stoned-on-marijuana