Flight Authorization Program

1.  Emergency Response (ER) and Essential Service (ES) providers who have registered their personnel with R&FA in advance will be permitted to utilize an abbreviated FA process.

2.  Extremely time-critical emergency response scenarios may be coordinated and/or authorized via voice/telephone, but this should only be attempted under exceptional circumstances.

3.  An ER/ES FA request form must be submitted to R&FA as soon as possible after a tasking is received, and it must include IRC for all Flight Crew and ER/ES personnel assigned to board the aircraft.

A. MedEvac patients do not require an IRC, but they must be identified by name on the ER FA request form.

B. Contact information for the referring medical facility must be included on the ER FA request form. If it is not available at the time of submission, it must be transmitted to R&FA as soon as possible thereafter.

4.  R&FA will process ER and ES requests immediately upon receipt, and issue a FA code as quickly as possible.

Note: Allowing non-registered personnel/passengers to travel on board an ER flight could unduly delay a time-critical mission, as these flights will then be required to submit to personnel and baggage screening at a designated CATSA facility prior to entering the OCA or departing from a location within it. Concurrently, if such a flight departs from a location outside the OCA that does not have a manned CATSA facility, it may be required to land and screen those non-registered passengers at a designated CATSA facility enroute.

5.  R&FA will notify ATC/ATS and POJ at the departure facility when an ER/ES flight has been authorized.

A. The operator will be required to file a flight plan with the appropriate ATC/ATS unit, and adhere to all other OCA airspace procedures/restrictions.

6.  Whenever possible, POJ will be present at the departure facility to monitor the progress of ER/ES aircraft preparation and boarding of personnel.

A. POJ will be cognizant of the requirement to maintain aircraft security, and responsive to suspicious articles or behaviour.

B. POJ will not unnecessarily delay a time-critical flight, but they may elect to validate ID, reconcile manifests or inspect the aircraft if they feel it is warranted.