Mishall RehmanTo celebrate more than 100 years of Canadian aviation, Feb. 23 is recognized across the country as National Aviation Day.
It was 110 years ago that the Silver Dart powered through the skies for nearly 800 metres, Canada’s first breakthrough in aviation. Since then, Canadian aviators soared to new heights contributing to the world of aviation significantly.
Ten years after the first flight, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown made the first direct trans-Atlantic flight in 1919. And just one year after that the Royal Canadian Air Force was formed.
Today, Canada has the third largest aerospace sector in the world with a total of 211,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada -140,000 Canadian jobs in the airlines, airports and related services industry and five per cent of jobs in the North. The industry generates $29.8 billion in annual revenue.
Not only has Canada been a worldwide leader in aviation, but, specifically, Canada has an excellent track record in-flight safety.
Canada has one of the safest air transportation systems in the world. According to Transport Canada, in the last decade, the accident rate has dropped 25 per cent.
“In fact, Canada recently saw the total number of accidents decline to the lowest recorded figure in modern aviation history. National Aviation Day is a celebration of excellence in aviation; an occasion to recognize Canada’s world-class reputation for aviation safety.” stated the Transport Canada website.
National Aviation Day is also recognized to highlight the various careers Canadian youth can step into one day to further advance Canada’s stellar history of aviation.
