Safety Improvements
There has been little progress to extend the application of the regulated safety management system (SMS) beyond scheduled airlines in Canada. SMS requirements are not applicable to foreign airlines in Canada, aerial applicators, on-demand charter operators, including air ambulance and scheduled business operators, scheduled airlines operating aircraft with 19 or fewer passenger seats, flight training units, and non-certified aerodromes. Over 90% of all Canadian commercial air operators and aerodromes are not required to operate with a safety management system. Operating such a wide gap of different safety principles is a hazard to aviation safety, and widens the gap when SMS operators are integrated, or mixed with non-SMS operators. Scheduled airlines operate at airports with a safety management system but are authorized to use non-SMS airports as their alternate airports. Because over 90% of commercial aviation operators are not required to have an SMS, these operators, many of w...