2 days ago
Canada Responds to the Impending Global Aviation Crisis
Three Hills, Alberta, Aug. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A critical shortfall of new pilots, highlighted by Statistics Canada and global aviation authorities, threatens to ground as many as half of all available flights in Canada within the next decade. This global pilot shortage, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging workforce, instructor shortage, and the high cost and duration of education, impacts not only commercial airlines but organizations like Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Canada, which rely on a dedicated pool of pilots to serve in the world's most challenging and inaccessible regions. MAF Canada believes cross-industry collaboration is the only solution to combating the impending crisis and has launched a multi-pronged response alongside Canadian and international partners and governments. Central to this response is the delivery of four revolutionary, Canadian-made mixed-reality flight simulators to its training partner, Prairie Aviation Training Centre (PATC) located in Three Hills, Alberta.
1. New Canadian-Made VR Simulator Technology: MAF Canada is one of the first to deploy new, advanced Canadian-made mixed-reality simulators at PATC. The simulators are provided by Canada Training Solutions Inc., a Canadian aviation training and technology company headquartered in Ottawa, ON. This cutting-edge technology combines both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to drastically reduce training time by allowing students to master complex procedures, emergency scenarios, and the challenges of remote, rugged airstrips in a safe, immersive environment without needing as many in-aircraft hours. These simulators make training more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible.
