On Friday, October 13, 2017 at 12:05:25 AM UTC+4, John Cochrane wrote:
Canada has this privatised system, and according to news reports are serving aircraft better and cheaper. I would be curious to hear from our canadian friends if it's such a disaster for soaring interests as has been painted here.

John Cochrane

You're right, Canada's air navigation system has been owned and operated since 1996 by NavCanada, a private, not-for-profit corporation. (More info about NavCan is available on the web so I won't say more). I acted as the Soaring Association of Canada's representative on airspace from 1997 until 2008.

There is no doubt that Navcan primarily serves its fee-paying customers who are the airlines and through them the travelling public. The main issues that arose for soaring after NavCan's formation were first, large expansions in controlled airspace around several major and regional airports, and second pressure to remove the glider exemption on transponder carriage in the Canadian air regulations.

On the positive side, after a few arguments NavCan implemented a consultative process ("aeronautical studies") for system changes wherein soaring and other users could provide input, which in some cases NavCan accommodated. Recently there have been some give-backs in the form of reductions in controlled airspace around Montreal. So life definitely didn't end!

However, I've moved away several years ago so will let my Canadian friends speak to the present.

Regards
Ian