West Wind Aviation lays off 10 pilots, blaming economic slowdown in province

The news comes three months after one of the company's planes crashed in remote Fond-du-Lac, Sask., and Transport Canada yanked its certificate to fly.

News comes almost 3 months after certificate to fly suspended by Transport Canada

Guy Quenneville · CBC News · Posted: Mar 14, 2018 4:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: March 14, 2018

Saskatoon-based airline West Wind Aviation has laid off 10 pilots, citing reduced economic activity in the province. The company's air operator certificate from Transport Canada remains suspended following the crash of one of the company's planes in Fond-du-Lac last December. (CBC)

West Wind Aviation, the Saskatoon-based airline involved in December's plane crash in remote Fond-du-Lac, Sask., has laid off 10 of its 52 full-time pilots, the company confirmed Wednesday.

"Due to a significant reduction in economic activity in the province, which includes mining and mineral exploration in Northern Saskatchewan, West Wind Aviation has had to make changes to its operations," said president and CEO Gord Gillespie in a statement shared with CBC News Wednesday.

"We have had to make some tough decisions, which have reluctantly included a downsizing of our employee base," added Gillespie.

"West Wind will continue to monitor its operations and will adjust its employee numbers accordingly to meet the needs of its present and future business activities."

Company's wings still clipped

Transport Canada suspended West Wind's air operator certificate after doing an inspection of the Saskatoon-based airline following the Dec. 13 crash of a 44-seat West Wind ATR plane in Fond-du-Lac, 800 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

West Wind grounding hints at 'glaring' safety issues: aviation experts

"West Wind Aviation's air operator certificate remains suspended," Transport Canada said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

"Transport Canada will reinstate West Wind Aviation's Air certificate when the company demonstrates compliance with aviation safety regulations and we cannot speculate how long it will take West Wind Aviation to do so."

The regulator had suspended the certificate due to "deficiencies in the company's operational control system." That system tracks things like a plane's maintenance history, the experience of pilots and the weight of a plane's luggage and cargo.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the cause of the Fond-du-Lac crash. Engine failure has already been ruled out.