NAV Canada says it’s taking several steps to increase the amount of available staff this summer to meet peak demand periods, including during events like the FIFA World Cup, in moves air industry experts say are akin to “scraping the barrel” in a sector facing staffing challenges.
This comes less than two months after the not-for-profit corporation, which owns and operates Canada’s civic air navigation system, acknowledged it was short about 200 staff, including air traffic controllers (ATC).
The shortage of ATC and other staff last summer led to delays and service disruptions at some of Canada’s busiest airports and are part of a worldwide pattern of shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NAV Canada maintains that its approximately 200 staffing gap is proportionately smaller than jurisdictions like the U.S. and still continues to this day, according to a presser released Tuesday.
Aviation experts say, regardless of new temporary measures, there will still likely be flight disruptions this summer.
“They know they’re going to be in short supply for the summer, and they’re trying whatever methodology they’re using to kind of fill that gap,” says John Gradek, faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University.
“But the gap still will be there and we’ll still have disruptions in a number of control centres throughout Canada this coming summer.”
NAV Canada says there are approximately 2,100 air traffic controllers and 700 flight service specialists currently employed within the organization, with nearly 550 additional students in training across the country.
According to the company’s website, training to become an air traffic controller can take 12 to 27 months, depending on the type of controller pathway.
Until those new trainees can be put to work, NAV Canada is implementing temporary measures to help meet a spike in air traffic demand this summer.
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“We have been preparing for this summer for well over a year,” said Marie-Pier Berman, vice-president and chief of operations at NAV Canada in the release.
“Our team is ready. We have more air traffic controllers in the system than at any point since the pandemic. We have invested in the tools and processes that make our operation more resilient, and we are working closely with our partners across the aviation industry to deliver the safest and most efficient service possible.”
“Canadians should be confident in the system that keeps them safe.”
Financial incentives, known as the Critical Staffing Incentive Plan, will be used to encourage current staff members to work during busier operational periods, according to NAV Canada, which didn’t specify how much more money staff could see for working during these shifts.
The company, however, did say that the incentive program is “a multi-million dollar initiative to maximize controller coverage during peak operational periods” and is supported by the air traffic controllers’ union.
In order to ensure peak operational windows are well-staffed, NAV Canada says it is using Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) blackout periods. This means that staff who have accumulated time off previously from working holidays or overtime will be restricted from taking that earned time off during busy working hours.
Some of these measures may help, but there is a risk that labour unions may push back.
“They’re scraping the barrel. They’re going after stuff that might, in certain situations, cause some labour relations issues,” says Gradek.
“If they think that these measures will yield the results that they expect to be able to get, then fine, let them do it. But I think the word of caution is that we don’t want to sour the relationship we currently have with our air traffic control labour unions.”
ATCs and other staff who were recently promoted from operational positions, like air traffic controllers, to management roles are also being incentivized to return to the front lines temporarily.
Prior to these new plans being launched, NAV Canada says it has also been rehiring recently retired ATCs on contract and plans to maintain more than 50 of those rehired contracts during the peak summer season.
NAV Canada says, in addition to these new temporary incentives and schedule restrictions, it will use data-sharing initiatives and proactive demand management to enhance how its operations co-ordinate with airlines and airports.
It also plans to improve its co-ordination with the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. to better manage cross-border traffic and “minimize downstream impacts from U.S. delays.”
NAV Canada also highlighted its technology strategy aimed at increasing air traffic capacity to meet a spike in demand, while reducing workloads for controllers and other staff.
Among the various systems listed, NAV Canada refers to its AI-enabled capacity forecasting, which it says provides advanced notice of capacity conditions for airlines and airports.
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