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Transat A.T. Inc., one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada’s holiday travel leader, has hailed the Canadian government’s reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, in particular as they affect the issue of foreign pilots operating aircraft that serve the Canadian market. Under the new system, Canadian air carriers must give priority to, and train, Canadian pilots before being authorized to use foreign pilots, including in situations of seasonal variations in fleet capacity.
“We congratulate the federal government, especially the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, and Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, for the joint efforts and hard work to resolve this complex issue for the Canadian aviation industry,” said Transat President and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marc Eustache, adding: “This initiative means increased job opportunities for our Canadian pilots.”
Transat expects the measures to be applicable immediately, as well as retroactively to all requests made by air carriers to use foreign pilots, even if filed prior to July 1, 2014.
