The COVID-19 pandemic has only strengthened the conviction of Canadians that fragile supply chains and support for critical infrastructure should remain under Canadian control. Maintaining the capacity to provide next-generation training for both Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots and aircrews has always been part of that principle.

A recent Ipsos survey * notes that 83 per cent of Canadians agree that it should be a priority to retain Canada’s key capacity to train military pilots. With issues such as Arctic sovereignty continuing to be top of mind for Canadians, a solid majority (92 per cent) agree that retaining control of military pilot training is essential.

With the federal government committed to procuring a next-generation training contract for both pilots and aircrew by 2023 under the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program, those issues have taken centre stage. How Canada chooses to award this multi-billion-dollar contract is a once in a generation decision that will affect national sovereignty, economic potential, employment opportunities for thousands and the development of additional innovative made-in-Canada technologies.

“Under the new contract, the RCAF not only wants to increase the number of pilots trained, but also outsource the aircrew training it currently provides,” says Tracy Medve, board chair, SkyAlyne and president and CEO of KF Aerospace. “Currently, the nine companies that make up SkyAlyne employ more than 15,000 Canadians in every region of Canada, from coast to coast to coast. We are part of the communities in which we work, we support those communities and hope to continue building on that for many more years to come.”

Essentially, she says, SkyAlyne can hit the ground running once the contract is awarded, continuing the tradition of Canadians training Canadian pilots and building on the value it offers for the next generation. “The country cannot afford to lose this capability,” she says.

“Canadians live in a nation built on diversity,” says Medve. “But retaining Canadian sovereignty and re-investing taxpayer dollars to create economic opportunity at home is an issue that unites us all.”

For more information on SkyAlyne, visit www.SkyAlyne.ca.

* Survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of SkyAlyne among 1,000 Canadians between August 10th and 12th , 2021.

***

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of SkyAlyne. Read it online here.