Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news for the airline and airports industry, as well as pilots and other aviation-professionals. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Aviation? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Freight & Ports and Oil & Gas.

Dates: 2025-10-26 to 2025-11-01

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Committee Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal GR News
• 🇺🇸 US Federal GR News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Committee Calendar

• House of Commons Committee on Public Safety and National Security—Bill C-12: The House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee will hold a televised briefing on Bill C-12, addressing border security and immigration integrity, on November 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Senior officials are scheduled to appear.
• House of Commons Committee on Citizenship and Immigration—Bill C-12: The Citizenship and Immigration Committee will meet November 6 at 3:30 p.m. for study on Bill C-12. Witnesses include Manon Brassard (Immigration and Refugee Board), Julia Green (Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association), and Cheryl Robinson (Canadian Bar Association).
• Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade—CUSMA & US-Mexico Trade Relations: The Senate Committee will meet November 6 at 10:30 a.m. to examine Canada’s trade relationships with the United States and Mexico under CUSMA. Scheduled witnesses include Catherine Fortin Lefaivre (Canadian Chamber of Commerce).

Canadian Federal GR News

Minister Joly to Address Canadian Aerospace Summit

On October 28, Minister Mélanie Joly announced her upcoming remarks and participation in an armchair discussion with Mike Mueller, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, at the 2025 Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa. This event is recognized for its role in convening major stakeholders from Canada's aerospace sector and discussing priorities across advanced manufacturing, supply chain, and investment. The Minister's appearance is expected to set the tone for industry-government engagement, with media invited to access proceedings through official channels.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Senate Committee Explores Labor Dispute Resolution in Transportation

The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications convened twice to examine system resilience during labor disruptions in transportation. Eric Harvey of the Railway Association of Canada and representatives from CN and CPKC advocated for amendments to the Canada Labour Code, proposing a neutral third-party arbitration framework and expanded ministerial powers to settle disputes. Daniel Safayeni from FETCO and Christopher Pigott outlined constraints in essential services provisions, while Barry Eidlin argued in favor of sustained strike rights. The Montreal Port Authority cited the importance of stability for export competitiveness. Discussions weighed the adoption of an American-style cooling-off period and considered frequent strikes' impact on Canada's trade reliability, with government attention focused on labor code modernization.

Sources: senparlvu.parl.gc.ca, senparlvu.parl.gc.ca

Senate Committee Investigates Airborne Firefighting Capabilities

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry studied the wildfire response, with De Havilland’s Neil Sweeney calling for a national aerial firefighting fleet and McGill’s John Gradek discussing the need for improved pilot training and next-generation aircraft. Additional perspectives included pilot health, local air quality monitoring, and production timelines for firefighting aircraft, with views expressed on coordination strategies and new drone technologies. The review highlights Canada’s efforts to address challenges in aviation support for emergency management.

Sources: senparlvu.parl.gc.ca

Canadian Coast Guard Discusses Transition to Enhanced Security Role

Deputy Commissioners Marc Mes and Andy Smith described to the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence the Coast Guard’s legislative transition to enable expanded information sharing for national security, with a focus on Arctic operations. Planned investments in training and new vessels, as well as the civilian status of the fleet, were outlined. The Coast Guard is leveraging drone technologies for domain awareness and maintaining partnerships with Indigenous communities for incident management, especially in response to climate-related events.

Sources: parlvu.parl.gc.ca

Critical Minerals Action Plan Unlocks New Investments for Aerospace Supply Chains

On October 31, Natural Resources Canada outlined the first round of 26 investments under the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, leveraging $6.4 billion for projects vital to aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Key announcements include the development of graphite and rare earth facilities, and expanded partnerships with Japan, Germany, France, and Australia. Notable projects include Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine, Rio Tinto’s Scandium Plant, Ucore Rare Metals’ rare earths facility, and Vianode’s synthetic graphite plant, many with federal investment and offtake agreements. Support for new battery and recycling technologies was detailed, with cross-border finance exploration and bilateral cooperation agreements cited.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

StatsCan Reports 3.8% Decline in August Airline Passenger Volume

Statistics Canada released data for August 2025 showing that major Canadian airlines transported 8.1 million passengers on scheduled and charter services, representing a 3.8% decrease compared to August 2024. The figures reflect broader trends in air travel demand and capacity deployment.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: www.statcan.gc.ca

StatsCan Weekly Aircraft Movements Data Published for October 11–17

Statistics Canada issued updated weekly itinerant aircraft movement data covering October 11 to 17. The release supports ongoing industry analytics on traffic volume and airport activity.

Sources: Open Government Data Set: www.statcan.gc.ca

US Federal GR News

DOT Proposes Expanded Hearing Procedures for Airline Consumer Protection Rules

On October 30, the US Department of Transportation announced a proposed rule restoring the 2020 procedures for public hearings when regulating unfair or deceptive practices in air transportation. The move follows recommendations from Airlines for America and others and requests comment on repealing recent changes that shifted discretion over requests for hearings and raised the proof standard for petitioners. The reinstatement would enable interested parties to request hearings on disputes over scientific, technical, or economic factual issues, and provides a mechanism for appeal to the Secretary. Comments on the proposal are due by December 1, 2025.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

FAA Amends Standard Instrument Approach and Departure Procedures

The Federal Aviation Administration issued final rules on October 29 amending or establishing Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), Takeoff Minimums, and Obstacle Departure Procedures at several US airports. These technical adjustments are made regularly to align with new or revised criteria and changes in air traffic requirements, and are published to keep navigational information current for safe instrument flight operations.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

FAA Implements Updates to IFR Altitudes and Changeover Points

Effective November 27, the Federal Aviation Administration adopted amendments to IFR altitude minimums and changeover points for specified federal airways, jet routes, and RNAV routes. The regulatory change ensures compliance with safety and operational efficiency standards, with the amendment proceeding without a public comment period due to the technical nature of the revisions.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Government Consultations

CBSA Administrative Monetary Penalty System Review

The CBSA is soliciting industry feedback on proposed recommendations from its review of the Administrative Monetary Penalty System, with the consultation open until May 30, 2025.

Sources: Canadian Government Consultations: www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

Transport Canada Accessibility Plan Consultation Closes

Transport Canada is concluding its public consultation process for the 2026–2028 Accessibility Plan, addressing inclusion and accessibility requirements under the Accessible Canada Act.

Sources: Canadian Government Consultations: NA

What We're Reading This Week

• Bombardier, Sweden’s Saab in talks to build Gripen fighter jet in Canada: Negotiations are underway to potentially assemble Gripen jets in Canada for export to Ukraine.
• Saab considers Canada as site for Gripen jet assembly to meet demand from Ukraine: Sweden's Saab is evaluating Canadian facilities for fighter jet production.
• Sweden's Saab considering Canada for its Gripen jet assembly: Canadian industry is a candidate for future fighter jet projects for export.
• Two Canadian airports are briefly closing towers over lack of air traffic controllers: Insufficient air traffic controller staffing has led to temporary closure of airport towers.
• Air Canada Named North American Winner for Employee Experience Strategy at the Customer Centricity World Series Awards: Air Canada receives industry recognition for employee-focused initiatives.
• Spread Your Wings: Applications Open Tomorrow for Seventh Edition of the Air Canada and CAE Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship: Air Canada and CAE announce scholarship applications for aspiring pilots.
• Ottawa is pledging more on defence — and Calgary wants a piece of the action: Calgary’s aerospace sector seeks participation in federal defense procurement.

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