Question Period Note: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)

Transport Canada’s role in the reporting of unidentified aerial phenomena

• Transport Canada (TC) manages the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) in which unidentified aerial phenomena are captured.
• CADORS is a publicly available database containing preliminary aviation occurrence information from which the majority of the information is from NAV CANADA and the other information sources include the public, operators, airports or other involved parties.
• Although further investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena sightings falls outside of TC’s mandate, the Department is open to continued collaboration with other departments and committed to the safety and security of Canada’s aviation system.

If pressed

• TC is aware of media articles about the former Defence Minister briefing on unidentified aerial phenomena, ahead of the US intelligence report being released and the statistics used for annual sightings in Canada.
• Although media reports have cited 1,000 unidentified aerial phenomena in Canada each year, a much smaller number has been reported to TC from NAV CANADA and captured in the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System.
• These may include weather balloon, meteor, rocket, unidentified flying object, etc.
• A query of CADORS from 2010 to present yielded 406 records and not all of which are unidentified aerial phenomena-related sightings.

• The role of Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System is to supplement normal operational and functional reporting systems and investigation procedures and assign events based on the details of the occurrence.
• Recent media articles regarding the former Defence Minister briefing on UAPs, ahead of the release of the US intelligence report, have made the following statements:
  o Overview of briefing to former Defence Minister in June 2021 with outline of cases and procedures involving various federal aviation agencies and civilian researcher.
  o Minimal government funding in Canada compared to the US; comment on increased Canadian government involvement; and suggestion of streamlined whole-of-government approach to unidentified aerial phenomena reporting.
  o Report of 1,000 unidentified aerial phenomena sightings in Canada each year.
• A Memorandum of Understanding on continuing information flow and requirements between NAV CANADA and Transport Canada since 1996.

Location: National