On its 20th anniversary NAV CANADA announces a $170 million investment in infrastructure

Twenty years ago, on November 1, 1996, a newly created not-for-profit company called NAV CANADA became the owner and operator of the country’s civil air navigation system. The private sector company assumed responsibility from the federal government for providing air traffic control, airport advisory and flight information services.

The company plans to increase the level of its capital expenditures by investing $170 million in fiscal year 2017 – $40 million more than the Company’s typical annual average.

“Today, Canada’s air navigation system has an unsurpassed record for safety and efficiency, which is a testament to the talent and dedication of NAV CANADA employees across the country” said Neil Wilson, President and CEO.

“We want to build on our success through this commitment to a significant expansion of our capital program. This involves projects with multi-year timelines, and a pace of investment we expect to continue over three years, subject to economic and business conditions and appropriate annual approvals.”

A lot of the capital expenditure from now to 2019 will focus on key facilities, including Area Control Centres (ACC), Air Traffic Control Towers and Flight Service Stations (FSS). In addition to the expansion, refurbishment or replacement of these facilities, NAV CANADA will also continue to upgrade power systems and make important investments in air traffic management technology and new business systems.

A significant amount will also be devoted to modernising critical elements of the communications, navigation and surveillance infrastructure, including continued investment in space-based ADS-B, which is set to revolutionise global air traffic surveillance.

NAV CANADA has invested over $2 billion in new technology and facilities over the past two decades and has built a global reputation for developing and implementing some of the world’s most advanced air traffic management technology solutions. This has measurably improved services for Canadians flying safely in our skies, and for the air navigation service providers in the eight countries that have purchased and are using technology developed by NAV CANADA.