Relaunch MTL: an action plan for the aerospace industry
Today, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal is launching its collaborative and virtual movement Relunch MTL. These are ten virtual forums on strategic sectors with eleven sectoral action plans. The sectors selected are: aerospace and air transport, retail trade, construction and infrastructure, creative industries, life sciences and health technologies, financial services, information technologies, tourism and finally transport and logistics.
Today is the beginning of the Relaunch MTL initiative with the aerospace and air transport forum. Here is the summary of the action plan for the aerospace and air transport industry:
The industry and its importance
Aerospace companies represent 12% of research and development investments in Canada. In 2019, this sector attracted 11% of foreign investment in the Montreal region. Aerospace industries export more than 80 % of their production . In the Montreal metropolitan area, one in 50 workers has a job related to aerospace or air transport.
Workers in the aerospace industry earn an average of $ 74,924 per year and those in the airline industry $ 62,778. By comparison, the average salary for all industries is $ 48,484. Montreal is the third largest aerospace cluster in the world after Seattle and Toulouse.
Also, the many international connections allow Montreal to maintain solid commercial links with the rest of the planet. I also underline that the revival of the tourism sector necessarily requires the revival of air transport.
The action plan
• The Relaunch MTL initiative’s action plan stresses the need to act quickly. Perhaps the important point is the rapid adoption of an ambitious Canadian aerospace policy focused on future technologies. Our aerospace industry must be able to go green in order to stay ahead of the curve.
• Relaunch MTL is also proposing to reinstate the specialized program for funding in aerospace R&D.
• Canada must resume its domestic and international flights safely as quickly as possible. Canadian government must review quarantine requirements for arriving travelers who have undergone rapid testing.
• Provide financial support to ADM and Canadian carriers. Companies in this sector face very high contractual obligations which burns their liquidity. They also face competitors that did received bail out.
• Finally, Relaunch MTL is proposing to review the user-pays mode that is applied to air transport. Airports should also be provided with funding so that they do not have to charge airlines for services rendered.
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