22 décembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

Ottawa eyeing second-hand market to replace VIP and cargo fleet

Government considering a deal with commercial airlines seeking financial assistance, sources say

Daniel Leblanc · CBC News · Posted: Dec 22, 2020 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

The federal government is exploring the possibility of replacing its aging fleet of transportation planes as part of a planned bailout of the country's battered airline industry, federal sources said.

While plans to replace the Canadian Armed Forces' five CC-150 Polaris aircraft have been in the works for years, government officials said they have started to look at whether any deal can be found among commercial airlines that are currently looking for financial relief from Ottawa.

The airline industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and is facing a liquidity crisis, having been forced to cut back on a number of regular routes amid a sharp decline in demand.

Sources, whom CBC News agreed not to identify in order to discuss confidential elements of the procurement process and talks with the airline industry, said Air Canada is seen as a potential supplier for the fleet, which is used to transport cargo, troops and dignitaries such as the prime minister. Still, the sources said discussions are preliminary.

Last week, all potential suppliers were invited to signify their interest in the contract as part of an "invitation to qualify" published on a federal website.

"It is not a new project," a defence official said. "The reason why [the Canadian Armed Forces] are looking at this now is really because of the fact there have been significant changes in the global aircraft market this year. They are looking at options to see what suppliers might have available, because order books are looking different than they were a year ago."

Another official confirmed the government sees a possible window to inject liquidity into the airline industry at the same time as it seeks to replace its fleet of gas guzzling transport aircraft.

"When the government decided a few weeks ago to help the airline sector, there was a situation where it became possible to address two issues at once, namely helping the airline industry at the same time as replacing an aging and polluting fleet," the official said.

Proceed with caution

Still, aviation expert John Gradek cautioned that a company like Air Canada would much prefer to hold on to its most recent aircraft and sell the older ones to the government.

"Would you want to trade old for old?" he asked.

Gradek added there are thousands of aircraft parked around the world, and manufacturers, facing a decreased demand, might be willing to offer a deal to the Canadian government. He pointed to Air Transat as a potential Canadian-based supplier facing financial difficulties and surplus capacity.

"The airline market is soft; it's a buyer's market," he said.

Air Canada declined to comment on the matter.

New aircraft needed

The five Polaris aircraft were built by Airbus and sold to Wardair in the late 1980s, before being resold to the Canadian Armed Forces in the early 1990s. They are used to transport cargo and troops on military and humanitarian missions, as well as VIPs, including the prime minister, the governor general and foreign dignitaries.

Two of them are equipped for air-to-air refuelling and can each help four CF-18s to cross the Atlantic.

One of the two Polaris CC-150s that can be used for VIP transport suffered serious damage last year when a motor struck a tow tractor in a hangar and its nose crashed into a wall. The repairs to the aircraft are ongoing.

The aircraft designed for VIP use are far from luxurious and fall well below the standard of most aircraft used to transport G7 leaders, both in terms of comfort and communications equipment.

The invitation for suppliers to qualify to provide strategic tanker transport aircraft was published on Dec. 17. The Canadian Armed Forces are once again looking to acquire five aircraft for this new fleet, which will be expected to offer air-to-air refuelling capabilities for the new fleet of fighter jets.

Gradek said that once the Polaris CC-150 are replaced, they will likely be headed for the scrapyard.

"There is no market for these airplanes," he said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-second-hand-market-planes-1.5850140

Sur le même sujet

  • Ottawa achète un avion sans pilote à 36 millions$ [VIDÉO]

    22 décembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

    Ottawa achète un avion sans pilote à 36 millions$ [VIDÉO]

    OTTAWA - Le gouvernement fédéral a annoncé lundi avoir fait l'acquisition d'un système d'aéronef télépiloté au coût de 36,2 millions $ afin de protéger les eaux canadiennes et de surveiller la pollution. Le nouvel appareil est un Hermes 900 StarLiner, est fabriqué par le constructeur aéronautique israélien Elbit Systems. Selon le site web de l'entreprise, l'engin a une envergure de 17 mètres et une masse maximale au décollage de 1'600 kg. Il contribuera à la mise en oeuvre du Programme national de surveillance aérienne de Transports Canada, a indiqué Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, dans un communiqué. L'engin servira notamment à détecter les déversements de pétrole, à étudier les habitats de glace et d'eau et à surveiller ce qui se passe sur les eaux de l'Arctique canadien. Le programme vise aussi à contribuer aux opérations de recherche et de sauvetage, aux activités humanitaires et à la lutte contre la pêche illégale. «Cet achat jouera un rôle essentiel dans les efforts du gouvernement visant à vérifier le potentiel pratique de la technologie des drones et à l'intégrer en toute sécurité dans l'espace aérien», est-il également noté dans le communiqué. L'aéronef pourra être commandé depuis un endroit éloigné. Il est doté de capacités d'autopilotage, dont le décollage et l'atterrissage automatiques. Son rayon d'action est de plus de 1400 milles marins. Elbit Systems est une entreprise spécialisée dans les technologies de défense. Elle a obtenu le contrat à la suite d'un «processus d'approvisionnement concurrentiel, ouvert et transparent», insiste Ottawa. Il devrait être livré d'ici deux ans. https://www.lesoleil.com/actualite/ottawa-achete-un-avion-sans-pilote-a-36-millions-video-6335da93961d2bf3d3e6a7f8e5bb34fe

  • WILLIAMS: Here's why Canada's shipbuilding debacle matters

    7 mai 2021 | Local, Naval

    WILLIAMS: Here's why Canada's shipbuilding debacle matters

    Canadians are quite rightly preoccupied with coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. It affects our safety and security. Nevertheless, there is another crisis…

  • Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox FAQs now live/Environnement protégé relatif à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne : la foire aux questions est maintenant en ligne

    15 février 2020 | Local, Naval

    Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox FAQs now live/Environnement protégé relatif à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne : la foire aux questions est maintenant en ligne

    Hello, There is only one week left to apply for the Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox (applications due by 19 Feb)! We have received a number of technical questions from innovators and have prepared a short FAQ in response to help those interested to best complete their application. We are looking forward to seeing your ingenious ways of finding corrosion trouble spots for the Royal Canadian Navy in action. FAQs on the Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox Thank you, The IDEaS Team --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonjour, Il ne reste plus qu'une semaine pour soumettre votre application pour l'Environnement protégé relatif à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne (l'échéance est le 19 février)! Nous avons déjà reçu un certain nombre de questions techniques de la part d'innovateurs. Sur ce, nous avons préparé une foire aux questions dans le but d'offrir des réponses pour appuyer les personnes qui souhaitent compléter leur demande. Nous sommes prêts à recevoir vos solutions novatrices pour détecter la corrosion à bord des navires. Foire aux questions sur l'Environnement protégé relative à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne Merci, L'équipe IDEeS Hello, There is only one week left to apply for the Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox (applications due by 19 Feb)! We have received a number of technical questions from innovators and have prepared a short FAQ in response to help those interested to best complete their application. We are looking forward to seeing your ingenious ways of finding corrosion trouble spots for the Royal Canadian Navy in action. FAQs on the Corrosion Detection in Ships Sandbox Thank you, The IDEaS Team --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonjour, Il ne reste plus qu'une semaine pour soumettre votre application pour l'Environnement protégé relatif à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne (l'échéance est le 19 février)! Nous avons déjà reçu un certain nombre de questions techniques de la part d'innovateurs. Sur ce, nous avons préparé une foire aux questions dans le but d'offrir des réponses pour appuyer les personnes qui souhaitent compléter leur demande. Nous sommes prêts à recevoir vos solutions novatrices pour détecter la corrosion à bord des navires. Foire aux questions sur l'Environnement protégé relative à la détection de la corrosion sur les navires de la Marine royale canadienne Merci, L'équipe IDEeS

Toutes les nouvelles