NAV Canada closing Halifax operation, putting 11 people out of work

COVID-19's devastating impact on the aviation industry has claimed 11 more jobs in Halifax.

NAV Canada, which provides navigation services across the country, is closing its Halifax flight information centre.

In a statement, NAV Canada spokesperson Brian Boudreau said the negative impact on air travel from the pandemic has caused the corporation to "streamline" its operations in Nova Scotia. 

Other flight information centres will take over providing services in the Halifax area. The corporation is also reviewing the services it provides to Sydney airport.

Sydney receives traffic, weather and other information remotely from the flight service station in Charlottetown.

3.7M fewer passengers this year

Earlier this week, the Atlantic Canada Airports Association (ACAA), which represents 11 airports in the region, said air travel in Atlantic Canada is down 92 per cent in the period from April to the end of August, compared to the same period last year. The ACAA said that was a decline of 3.7 million passengers.

Many airports count on the summer season to boost revenues to help them make it through slower travel periods.

The flight information centres provide services over the phone, including flight-planning services, in-depth interpretive weather information, and en-route details, Boudreau said. 

NAV Canada is a private, non-profit corporation.

"In terms of any local job losses, our hearts go out to everyone in our industry who has been affected, both personally and professionally," said Tiffany Chase, spokesperson for the Halifax International Airport.

Chase said the Halifax airport had about 5,600 people working there prior to the pandemic but she said a "significant number" of those jobs have been lost due to COVID-19.

She said they're forecasting a 50 per cent loss in jobs in the aviation industry across Canada because of the pandemic. "That's a staggering statistic," she said.

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