Canada Barely Passes ICAO Audit

Canadian airlines and the country's regulator are defending aviation safety in the country after the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) gave Canada a C in its implementation of international safety standards. The confidential report, obtained by the Canadian Press news agency, gave Canada a score of 64 out of 100 according to CH-Aviation. A similar audit in 2005 rated Canada at 95 out of 100. The report apparently said Canada's aircraft operations, airports and air navigation only barely make the grade. The audit recommends Transport Canada set up systems to monitor regulatory compliance by airlines and ensure proper training and fatigue management for air traffic controllers. The low score prompted quick reaction from Transport Canada and the country's two largest airlines.

“ICAO has not identified any significant safety concerns with Canada’s civil aviation system, and we know our country’s air sector is among the safest in the world,” Transport Ministry spokeswoman Laura Scaffidi told the publication. Air Canada said in a statement that the ICAO document "was not an audit of the safe operation of Canadian aircraft." The airline said it was recently audited by the International Air Transportation Association and "passed with exemplary findings." WestJet said the audit focused on Transport Canada and not Canadian operators "and therefore do not assess or reflect WestJet’s industry leading safety standards."