Transport Canada is planning to stop evaluating pilots who perform checks on their counterparts at the country香蕉视频直播檚 largest airlines and will instead give the responsibility to the operators, a change critics say erodes oversight and public safety.

Documents show Transport Canada made the decision in May when the House of Commons transport committee was reviewing aviation safety and subsequently recommended more on-site inspections generally of the airline industry instead of paper audits.

A risk assessment document and an internal letter from Transport Canada香蕉视频直播檚 director of national operations for civil aviation were obtained under an access to information request by the Canadian Federal Pilots Association, the bargaining agent for about 450 pilots, most of whom work for the federal government.

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Transport Canada香蕉视频直播檚 evaluators test so-called check pilots for the large airlines, who in turn evaluate the pilots in their own organizations.

The letter says the changes will take place April 1 for airlines with planes that fly more than 50 passengers.

The accompanying risk assessment acknowledges Canada is moving away from the mainstream practices used in other countries.

香蕉视频直播淚t could be argued that Canada香蕉视频直播檚 experience and relative maturity with systems-based surveillance will adequately complement this shift of responsibilities 香蕉视频直播� and therefore mitigate any concerns other states or trade associations may have with response to such a departure from globally accepted practices,香蕉视频直播� the risk-assessment document says.

Canada is one of over 190 members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and has agreed to follow its recommended practices, including evaluating pilots twice a year.

Greg McConnell, chairman of the pilots association, said the changes are pushing Canada香蕉视频直播檚 aviation safety system onto the industry itself.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 very, very important that people understand we are getting closer to self-regulation all the time.香蕉视频直播� he said in an interview. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 just more cutting, more dismantling of the safety net.香蕉视频直播�

The risk assessment says Transport Canada is having a problem hiring and retaining properly qualified inspectors. A spokesman with the pilots association said none of its inspectors will likely lose their job because of the changes.

The documents say transferring the responsibility is a 香蕉视频直播渓ow risk.香蕉视频直播�

Transport Minister Marc Garneau and officials in his department weren香蕉视频直播檛 available for an interview. The department says in an email it is focusing its oversight on areas of greater risk.

香蕉视频直播淒ata has demonstrated that over the past five years, approved check pilots have had a very low failure rate (less than 0.2 per cent) when being monitored by Transport Canada. The department is confident that approved check pilots are exercising their delegation of authority properly,香蕉视频直播� it says.

Conservative MP Kelly Block, a vice-chair on the Commons transport committee, said she香蕉视频直播檚 concerned the changes weren香蕉视频直播檛 brought to the committee during its study on aviation safety.

香蕉视频直播淲hen a parliamentary committee is seized with a topic and the department doesn香蕉视频直播檛 disclose this kind of relevant information 香蕉视频直播� I think that香蕉视频直播檚 very disturbing.香蕉视频直播�

The committee recommended the government establish targets for more on-site safety inspections as opposed to auditing the safety management systems of the airlines. Transport Canada replied to the suggestion earlier this month, saying it recognizes the importance of a mix of systems-based inspections and spot checks.

New Democrat MP Robert Aubin, the committee香蕉视频直播檚 other vice-chair, said the decision was 香蕉视频直播渃urious香蕉视频直播� because Transport Canada said it was doing more oversight, not less.

香蕉视频直播淚 have concerns if the pilots who evaluate their pilots are not evaluated by Transport Canada. We have to have the same standards,香蕉视频直播� he said in an interview. 香蕉视频直播淲e have to increase the resources at Transport Canada to make sure we can do that job.香蕉视频直播�

Liberal MP Judy Sgro, the committee香蕉视频直播檚 chairwoman, was not available for an interview.

The documents say putting additional inspection burdens on the airlines means extra human and financial tolls on them.

Block said the committee heard airlines already operate on tight financial margins and she believes they are just as concerned about safety.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 what you香蕉视频直播檙e left with, is believing that perhaps that (consumer) costs will have to go up in order to ensure that they are operating in a safe environment.香蕉视频直播�

WestJet and Air Canada declined comment on the pending changes.

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