A fish rots from the human resources department;
Members of the Canadian aviation industry say growing backlogs at Transport Canada are making it more difficult for new and existing pilots to get their licences, and the federal government has failed to address the issue.
“They’ve completely dropped the ball,” said Dario Matrundola, president of Canadian Flyers Aviation College — a flight school based at Buttonville Airport northeast of Toronto.
“They don’t answer the phone, they don’t call you back, and you’re lucky if they answer emails.”
Transport Canada’s civil aviation department is struggling to issue the paperwork necessary to fly, effectively grounding an unknown number of Canadian and foreign pilots who train here. Of particular concern are unacceptable delays with Transport Canada’s issuance of medical certificates.
While applicants normally receive their certificates between 30 and 40 days after submitting their paperwork, some of Matrundola’s students have been left waiting more than a year.
“They’re still working, we’re still working — its just Transport Canada and actual government employees who aren’t doing anything,” he said.