Update on our activities during COVID-19

"The current situation has had an unprecedented impact on our industries in civil aviation, defence and security as well as healthcare. Throughout our 70+ years of activity, we have never seen anything like it. Our mission has always been to make the world a safer place, and now more than ever, we are adapting to keep honouring our mission: making air travel safer, ensuring defence forces return home safely and helping medical personnel save lives.

To face this situation, we have adapted protocols at our facilities and training centres to keep your safety our #1 priority."

- Marc Parent, President and CEO

CAE Air1 ventilator used with CAE Healthcare simulator

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CAE Air1 ventilator

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Healthcare

Since the 2010s, CAE Healthcare has been a training partner of choice for medical corporations and industries and has helped shape the future of healthcare training by leveraging CAE’s expertise in aviation.

Today, in response to COVID-19, we are leveraging this expertise to help healthcare workers on the frontline save lives and ensure patient safety.

Simulation solutions

CAE Healthcare is offering a Ventilator Reskilling Course, Complete Ultrasound Training Suite, Webinars, Simulated Clinical Experience (SCE), an Outreach Toolkit and Resources in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospital Preparedness for Managing Coronavirus

Tips for Cleaning CAE Healthcare Simulators

CAE manikins used to test split a ventilator at Mount Sinai

CAE Air1 ventilator

CAE has signed a contract with the Government of Canada on April 10 to manufacture and supply 10,000 ventilators which will be used to help save lives of COVID-19 patients. The first unit of our CAE Air1 ventilator is expected to be delivered in early May to health authorities for certification.

CAE is developing an easy-to-manufacture ventilator

CAE signs contract with the Government of Canada for life-saving ventilators

Civil Aviation

Taking care of our customers is more important than ever, and as we adapt to the situation, we will continue to support our customers worldwide in different ways while ensuring your safety and that of our employees and their families.

In order to comply with instructions given by local governments around the world, some of our sites have had to temporarily suspend their operations; others remain open as the training services we provide are considered essential.

In order to support customers onsite (where applicable), we have strict protocols in place for every step of the training experience: from arrival at the training centre to simulator sessions and post session cleaning.

Safety Protocols for Training Centres

Cleaning and disinfection policy for equipment related to training devices

For business aviation customers coming from abroad to a training centre in Canada:

Protocol for business aviation clients coming from abroad for training purposes in Canada

As you enter our facilities, you will also be required to fill out a declaration form confirming that you are not experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc.) and that you have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. We will also be observing quarantine periods as mandated by local governments around the world.

Please note that we have had to adapt our opening hours in some of our training centres. Contact training centres directly for opening hours.

See our list of locations worldwide for contact information

We are working on virtual solutions to better support our customers and students around the world.

All across our Civil Aviation training, from Commercial Aviation, Business Aviation and Helicopter Aviation to maintenance programs, we have been converting bookings to virtual training as much as possible.

Our virtual classrooms are now being tested in Flight Academies, such as Madrid, where feedback has been very positive so far. We will continue to unveil our virtual classrooms as they become available.

Defence & Security

CAE’s work in Defence & Security is considered essential by governments in the countries where we operate. Over 90% of CAE’s operational sites are therefore still delivering services to support defence forces who must always be prepared and ready in the interest of national security. In order to adapt to the situation, some of our facilities around the world have also been turned into emergency management centres for public safety.

Our #1 priority is ensuring the safety of our employees and customers in our facilities and where our employees are deployed worldwide to actively support training and readiness requirements. We have therefore implemented strict safety protocols, for which we have been recognized as an international leader. These protocols are in place from arrival at the training facility to aircraft training sessions and post-session cleaning.

Safety Protocols for Training Centres

Cleaning and disinfection policy for equipment related to training devices

Employees

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been proactively taking measures to ensure the safety of our customers, our employees and their families worldwide, while ensuring the continuity of our operations.

Based on the latest government recommendations from various countries, we have asked that employees from all CAE sites worldwide work from home until further notice.

Currently, only employees who support sectors of the company that are considered essential may enter our facilities (unless specific government exemptions apply).

We have also implemented strict cleaning and disinfecting protocols for our facilities worldwide in addition to social distancing guidelines (reinforced through signage and rotation shifts), which will be maintained as long as required.

In order to minimize risk, we are also complying with any quarantine mandated by local authorities for anyone entering our facilities who has been travelling or in contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19.

The wellness, health and safety of our employees in the field, as for any CAE employee, is paramount. Business travel is strictly limited to activities that are considered essential for the continuity of our customers’ operations, as allowed by local restrictions. These exceptions strictly follow government and local regulations, and emergency assistance remains available for all our employees. CAE will ensure that employees in the field return home safely at the end of their mandate, even if there are fewer commercial flights.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved and continues to have an unprecedented impact on our daily lives and the global economy, we have also had to take extraordinary measures to protect our financial position and our long-term future.

These measures include temporary salary reductions (ranging from 10% for employees to 50% for the Executive Management Committee), temporarily laying off 2,600 of our 10,500 employees and placing another 900 employees on a reduced work week.

In Canada, with the latest government assistance and announcements, we were able to recall 1,500 employees. We will continue to do so as the opportunity arises.

April 6: COVID-19: CAE announces measures to protect its financial position and mitigate the impact on its employees

April 20: CAE recalls all temporarily laid-off employees in Canada and signs contract with the Government of Canada for life-saving ventilators

Social responsibility & innovation

We believe it is our duty to find ways to innovate and help our community through these challenging times. We have therefore put different initiatives in place to address the situation:

Production of CAE ventilators;
Complementary simulation for suspected COVID-19 cases;
Delivering N95 masks to the Quebec government;
A website where we keep all our employees informed on a regular basis;
A forum where employees can give ideas on how to mitigate the impact of COVID‑19;
and more to come.

Suppliers

We are in constant contact with our suppliers as the situation evolves, and we will reach out to our suppliers as needed.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

Investors

We are facing a situation with an unprecedented impact on our daily lives and the global economy. Our operations are certainly affected by this disruption of the global air transportation system, but we entered the crisis in a position of strength. As innovation is in our DNA, we will continue to adapt to the situation through new initiatives.

March 20: CAE invited to take part in RBC-moderated webcast about the COVID-19 situation and its impact

April 10: Marc Parent, President and CEO in LaPresse Affaires

Contact

The wellness, health and safety of all our stakeholders are paramount. If you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to communicate with your main contact at CAE.

Last updated: April 27, 2020

CAE Air1 Ventilator