A local Member of Parliament is pushing back against a recently announced study at Windsor's airport that could lead to the removal of the air traffic control tower.
Windsor West MP Brian Masse stood in the House of Commons on Tuesday to call on the federal government to prevent NAV Canada from conducting the study that will review air traffic at six of its airports, including Windsor International Airport. The study will ultimately determine whether airport advisory services should be offered in place of air traffic control.
NAV Canada, which owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation service, has maintained that the aeronautical study would be a safety-focused and regulated process.
However, Masse disagrees. During Question Period on Tuesday, he said removing the tower at Windsor's airport would be detrimental to the city and would jeopardize safety.
"The airport in Windsor has become a success story after more than 20 years of investment and effort by the City of Windsor. But now, the privatized NAV Canada is threatening this public achievement,” Masse said to Transportation Minister Marc Garneau. “An uncontrolled airport would eliminate commercial passenger air travel and would create significant safety problems for cargo and private planes due to the complex airspace of having five airports [Windsor International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Coleman A. Young International Airport, Willow Run Airport, Selfridge Air National Guard Base] in the area, including public, private, US National Guard and US Coast Guard.”
NAV Canada said the study is being conducted to safely streamline its operations in a way that will help preserve the sustainability of Canada’s air navigation system. The company added that to efficiently run Canada’s air navigation system, it must ensure the services supplied align with market demands.
The company added that it "provides for full consultation with all affected stakeholders."
However, Masse accused NAV Canada of potentially upending decades of work by the city, which includes increasing significant cargo traffic and creating a thriving airplane maintenance business.
“We want to ensure Windsor Airport remains a thriving hub for the city’s economy. This airport has created many jobs for the people of Windsor and it brings people to our city,” Masse added on Tuesday. “It would be a huge loss to have the air traffic control tower removed and the airport downgraded.”
NAV Canada's study will also review air traffic levels at airports in Fort McMurray, Alberta; Prince George, BC; Regina, Saskatchewan; Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and Whitehorse, Yukon.