23 December, 2017

Transport Canada suspends West Wind Aviation's Air Operator Certificate

Transport Canada suspended West Wind Aviation's Air Operator Certificate today, which prohibits the company from providing commercial air services. The department took this serious action in the interest of public safety because the department identified deficiencies in the company's Operational Control System. An Operational Control System ensures that a company's day-to-day actions are compliant with safety requirements for things such as the dispatching of personnel and aircraft.



On December 13, 2017, a West Wind Aviation aircraft, with 25 people onboard, crashed in Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan. Transport Canada identified deficiencies during a post-accident inspection of West Wind Aviation from December 18 to 20, 2017. As a result, in the interest of public safety, Transport Canada suspended West Wind Aviation's Air Operator Certificate and will not allow the company to resume its commercial air service until it demonstrates compliance with aviation safety regulations.




Transport Canada takes its aviation safety oversight role very seriously and expects every air operator to fully comply with aviation safety regulations.






Quick Facts                                                                              

Transport Canada does not hesitate to take action when regulatory non-compliance is identified which is why the department has now suspended West Wind Aviation's Air Operator Certificate.
Transport Canada will continue to monitor West Wind Aviation's actions as it works towards compliance with aviation safety regulations.
Transport Canada continues to support the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation into the December 13 accident.


Transport Canada has ruled out engine failure for the cause of the crash of the ATR and stated there was no fire or explosion upon impact with the ground, which is itself remarkable. Investigators have confirmed they are looking into other factors for the cause of the crash, including weather conditions at the time, runway length, pilot training, aircraft maintenance as well as airline operation procedures. 

West Wind Aviation confirmed it had received the order order and had already voluntarily suspended all flying operations. “We are working diligently to resolve any issues, with the aim of restarting operations as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement, “Safety is our number one priority, and we look forward to improving our processes to continue to serve our communities and customers.”








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