West Wind Aviation lays off 10 pilots, blaming economic slowdown in province

West Wind Aviation, the Saskatoon-based airline involved in December's plane crash in remote Fond-du-Lac, Sask., has laid off 10 of its 52 full-time pilots, the company confirmed Wednesday.

"Due to a significant reduction in economic activity in the province, which includes mining and mineral exploration in Northern Saskatchewan, West Wind Aviation has had to make changes to its operations," said president and CEOGordGillespie in a statement shared with CBCNews Wednesday.

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"We have had to make some tough decisions, which havereluctantly included a downsizing of our employee base," added Gillespie.

"West Wind will continue to monitor its operations and will adjust its employee numbers accordingly to meet the needs of its present and future business activities."

Company's wings still clipped

Transport Canada suspended West Wind's air operator certificate after doing an inspection of the Saskatoon-based airline following the Dec. 13 crash of a 44-seat West Wind ATRplane in Fond-du-Lac, 800 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

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"West Wind Aviation's air operator certificate remains suspended," Transport Canada said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

"Transport Canada will reinstate West Wind Aviation's Air certificate when the company demonstrates compliance with aviation safety regulations and we cannot speculate how long it will take West Wind Aviation to do so."

The regulator had suspended the certificate due to"deficiencies in the company's operational control system." That system tracksthings like a plane's maintenance history, the experience of pilots and the weight of a plane's luggage and cargo.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the cause of the Fond-du-Lac crash. Engine failure has already been ruled out.