Airlines ban all pot use for ‘safety-critical’ crew

Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics among workers who can’t toke

OTTAWA— Don’t even think about flying high.

That’s the rule Canada’s airlines have laid down for pilots, mechanics and other front-line personnel i n advance of Wednesday’s legalization of recreational marijuana use.

Air Canada, WestJet and Jazz are among the carriers that have imposed a blanket ban on cannabis use for many employees directly involved in flight operations as Transport Canada warns cannabis is a “potential threat” to aviation safety.

“Employees working in safety-critical areas at the company, including flight operations and aircraft maintenance, will be prohibited from using cannabis and cannabis products at all times, both on-duty and off-duty,” Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email Monday.

That includes those in the air, such as pilots and flight attendants, and personnel on the ground involved in operations, such as mechanics and flight dispatchers. Other Air Canada employees will be prohibited from using cannabis while on duty or in the workplace.

“We are acting out of an abundance of caution based on current understanding of the effects of these drugs, including their after-effects and the potential they can linger in the human system. This policy will be reviewed regularly,” Fitzpatrick said.

WestJet’s updated policy prohibits the use and possession of cannabis at company premises and workplaces — and at company social functions. Like Air Canada, WestJet employees in “safety-sensitive” positions will be prohibited from using cannabis even when not on duty.

“We believe these changes reflect our reputation as an industry leader in safety and our expectations that all employees report fit for duty and remain fit for duty at work,” spokesperson Lauren Stewart said.

Jazz has introduced a similar policy, spokesperson Debra Williams said.

Nav Canada, the private company that operates the country’s air traffic control system, said it would reveal its cannabis policy for employees on Wednesday. But a spokesperson said it already has a zero-tolerance policy for impairment due to alcohol or drugs.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Monday employees in the transport sector are expected to be “fit to do your job.”

He said cannabis legalization doesn’t change the obligation of employees to be fit to work.

“There is zero tolerance for being impaired in any way. That’s always been the case and it will continue to be the case,” Garneau told reporters.

Federal aviation regulations currently bar all pilots from operating a flight if they are “unfit to perform properly.” The rules specifically spell out that “no person shall act as a crew member of an aircraft ... while using any drug that impairs the person’s faculties to the extent that the safety of the aircraft or of persons on board the aircraft is endangered in any way.”

In an advisory issued last week, senior Transport Canada officials warned about the lingering effects of cannabis and the potential risks.