In a detailed letter to Transport Canada – Civil Aviation, COPA’s president and CEO Bernard Gervais responded to a Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) by the regulator to change the criteria used to determine whether a water aerodrome needs to be certified or not.

Gervais suggests that TCCA seems to want to apply to water aerodromes guidelines similar to what were developed specifically for the certification of land aerodromes. A key element of the NPA was the definition, or lack thereof, of what constitutes a ‘built-up area’, and how it would be applied when assessing water aerodromes.

Other points raised in the letter address concerns around arbitrary thresholds that would trigger certification and the cost of compliance.

Since the letter was sent, COPA has spoken with key officials within TCCA and they have expressed appreciation for the feedback COPA and other stakeholders have provided. They stated that TCCA will work with industry to determine a way forward that addresses the concerns of passenger, staff and public safety at water aerodromes.

See the entire letter appended below for more information.