Question Period Note: Atlantic Charters Provision of Medevac Services on Grand Manan

Provision of medevac services to the Island of Grand Manan

• Transport Canada has implemented new fatigue regulations for flight crew that align with scientific principles, Transportation Safety Board recommendations, and international requirements.
• Transport Canada consulted extensively on these new fatigue rules and published them in December 2018. Smaller air carriers were provided four years to implement.
• The new rules leave fatigue regulations for medical evacuation flights (medevacs) mostly unchanged.
• Transport Canada officials continue to be in regular contact with the aviation industry to assist in the implementation of the new rules.

If Pressed

• Fatigue rules for medevacs have been updated and now include additional considerations when calculating flight duty periods to ensure adequate flight crew rest.

Regulatory Change:

• Canada’s previous regulatory regime for flight crew fatigue did not reflect the latest scientific principles and knowledge on fatigue. In addition, a gap existed between International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and the Transportation Safety Board outlined Fatigue Management as a Key Safety Issue on its Watchlist.
• Transport Canada held multiple formal consultations with stakeholders between 2014 and 2017 before final publication of the new rules on December 7, 2018, allowing up to four years to implement for operators such as Atlantic Charters.
• The amendments to the Flight Crew Member Fatigue Management regulations came into force for air taxi operations on December 12, 2022 with the implementation of increased requirements for rest periods to ensure adequate rest for flight crew.
• Transport Canada considered the operational requirements for medical evacuation flights (medevacs), keeping the rules mostly unchanged from the previous requirements although small changes were implemented to ensure adequate rest.

Operator Consideration:

• Atlantic Charters is an air taxi operator, based in Grand Manan, New Brunswick, with a business model that provides charters, cargo and medevac services. It is subcontracted with Ambulance NB to provide air ambulance service to the island of Grand Manan. The two parties are currently in contract negotiations.
• Operators with this type business model are required to comply with the section of the new rules applicable to the specific type of flight occurring. In other words, a charter flight would need to comply with the specific set of requirements for that type of operation, while a medevac flight would need to comply with the less restrictive section applicable to medevacs.
• Atlantic Charters have indicated that they support the new regulations and are keen in implementing the new rules, but have outlined that their operations will require additional flight crew to comply with new fatigue rules.
• If Atlantic Charters is not subcontracted for air ambulance, the island of Grand Manan would be serviced by an Air Ambulance service based in Moncton with a contingency to engage the Canadian Forces Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Nova Scotia.
• There have been recent media reports of concerned residents regarding the timeliness of air ambulance service should the ambulance service be located outside Grand Manan.
• As the amendments are related to aviation safety, no alternatives or exemptions from the flight crew fatigue management rules are currently being considered.
• Transport Canada will respond to any concerns that Atlantic Charters may have.

Location: Grand Manan, New Brunswick