Province announces $11 million investment to train Albertans to work in aviation industry

Helping Alberta become Canada’s next aviation hub

The Ministry of Advanced Education is supporting Alberta’s growing aviation industry by investing more than $11 million over three years in Budget 2023.

Alberta continues to be the economic engine of Canada, and Alberta’s government is focused on even more job creation and diversification. Last fall, Alberta’s government signed a memorandum of understanding with WestJet Airlines, recognizing the importance of Alberta’s aviation industry and its contributions to the economy.

Part of the framework of the MOU included a commitment to address critical skilled labour shortages currently faced by the aviation industry. Alberta is home to the second-largest Canadian airline, which operates almost 800 flights carrying 70,000 passengers daily. These numbers are expected to double over the coming years.

That’s why Alberta’s government is committed to growing and diversifying its aerospace, aviation and logistics sectors. This new investment of $11 million includes:

$6 million over three years to help Mount Royal University establish a bachelor of aviation management program
$4.5 million over three years for an air access bursary for students in high-demand aviation programs
$500,000 to support planning of an aviation centre of excellence

“These investments will help ensure Alberta’s air industry has the resources and workforce it needs to succeed, further supporting the growth and vitality of Alberta’s aviation industry, the diversifying of our economy and leading more students to successful careers.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education

Supporting new seats in aviation education

Mount Royal University’s bachelor of aviation management program will add 120 seats over four years and be the first of its kind in Alberta. Unlike the aviation diploma, students seeking admission do not have to have a private pilot’s licence.

“We thank the Government of Alberta for this support of Mount Royal’s aviation program and the future pilots it educates. With the demand for pilots continuing to grow, this announcement speaks to the strength of the program, the vital role of education in advancing the aviation sector and its importance to the economy of Alberta.”
Tim Rahilly, president and vice-chancellor, Mount Royal University

The proposed program is a standard 120-credit degree. While there is only a generalized major, aviation management, the institution is offering the program with two different six-course concentrations.

One concentration in flight crew operations offers a commercial pilot and multi-engine instrument rating course to prepare students for a role as a pilot as well as other courses designed to prepare them for management opportunities as their flying career develops. The other concentration in aviation operations focuses on a greater development of management skills and specific aviation business content.

New bursary for aviation students

The new air access bursary provides $10,000 in non-repayable support for aviation students at Alberta post-secondary institutions. A total of $4.5 million will support up to 450 students over three years.

“Aviation is a growing field and the demand for pilots continues to soar. We thank the Government of Alberta for their financial support for students like me in the aviation program at Mount Royal University.”

Ethan Best, president, aviation student executive, Mount Royal University

Creating a hub for excellence

Alberta’s government is working across multiple ministries to support its air access expansion strategy as part of the memorandum of understanding with WestJet Airlines. Through this strategy, Alberta’s government is looking to boost the provincial economy by more than 1,000 direct jobs in Alberta and tens of thousands of other new jobs and billions in new economic activity. Pending approval, $500,000 will support planning for the centre of excellence for aviation training.

“The memorandum of understanding between the Government of Alberta and WestJet sets a foundation to support aviation-related post-secondary programs and improve skilled labour in the industry. This announcement strengthens these commitments and WestJet applauds the Government of Alberta for this funding that will further support WestJet’s Center of Excellence for advanced aviation training right here in Alberta.”

Jennifer Bue, interim chief financial officer, WestJet Group

Alberta is proving to be Canada’s next aviation hub and Alberta’s government continues to build and create new partnerships with the aviation industry and Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. Another key partnership in the province’s aviation industry exists between De Havilland and SAIT, focusing on aircraft manufacturing.

“This investment in critical skills and training comes at a time when our company is actively growing our Alberta footprint to advance our mission of manufacturing great Canadian aircraft that serve communities, transport passengers and save lives around the world. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Alberta to ensure we have the trained staff we need to deliver a new aerospace sector in the province.”

Brian Chafe, president and CEO, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada

Budget 2023 secures Alberta’s future by transforming the health-care system to meet people’s needs, supporting Albertans with the high cost of living, keeping our communities safe and driving the economy with more jobs, quality education and continued diversification.

Quick facts

Alberta’s aviation, aerospace and logistics industries employ more than 75,000 people (2021, Statistics Canada).
This investment expands on the October 2022 announcement that invested more than $8 million over three years to expand several key facilities and added 40 seats per year to Mount Royal University’s aviation diploma program.
A 2018 report from the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace found that Canada’s aviation industry will need as many as 7,300 more pilots by 2025.

Government of Alberta

This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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Premier Smith: Canadians support agreement between Alberta and Ottawa and the major economic opportunities it could unlock for the benefit of all

Published on December 6, 2025

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From Energy Now

By Premier Danielle Smith

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If Canada wants to lead global energy security efforts, build out sovereign AI infrastructure, increase funding to social programs and national defence and expand trade to new markets, we must unleash the full potential of our vast natural resources and embrace our role as a global energy superpower.

The Alberta-Ottawa Energy agreement is the first step in accomplishing all of these critical objectives.

Recent polling shows that a majority of Canadians are supportive of this agreement and the major economic opportunities it could unlock for the benefit of all Canadians.

As a nation we must embrace two important realities: First, global demand for oil is increasing and second, Canada needs to generate more revenue to address its fiscal challenges.

Nations around the world — including Korea, Japan, India, Taiwan and China in Asia as well as various European nations — continue to ask for Canadian energy. We are perfectly positioned to meet those needs and lead global energy security efforts.

Our heavy oil is not only abundant, it’s responsibly developed, geopolitically stable and backed by decades of proven supply.

If we want to pay down our debt, increase funding to social programs and meet our NATO defence spending commitments, then we need to generate more revenue. And the best way to do so is to leverage our vast natural resources.

At today’s prices, Alberta’s proven oil and gas reserves represent trillions in value.

It’s not just a number; it’s a generational opportunity for Alberta and Canada to secure prosperity and invest in the future of our communities. But to unlock the full potential of this resource, we need the infrastructure to match our ambition.

There is one nation-building project that stands above all others in its ability to deliver economic benefits to Canada — a new bitumen pipeline to Asian markets.

The energy agreement signed on Nov. 27 includes a clear path to the construction of a one-million-plus barrel-per-day bitumen pipeline, with Indigenous co-ownership, that can ensure our province and country are no longer dependent on just one customer to buy our most valuable resource.

Indigenous co-ownership also provide millions in revenue to communities along the route of the project to the northwest coast, contributing toward long-lasting prosperity for their people.

The agreement also recognizes that we can increase oil and gas production while reducing our emissions.

The removal of the oil and gas emissions cap will allow our energy producers to grow and thrive again and the suspension of the federal net-zero power regulations in Alberta will open to doors to major AI data-centre investment.

It also means that Alberta will be a world leader in the development and implementation of emissions-reduction infrastructure — particularly in carbon capture utilization and storage.

The agreement will see Alberta work together with our federal partners and the Pathways companies to commence and complete the world’s largest carbon capture, utilization and storage infrastructure project.

This would make Alberta heavy oil the lowest intensity barrel on the market and displace millions of barrels of heavier-emitting fuels around the globe.

We’re sending a clear message to investors across the world: Alberta and Canada are leaders, not just in oil and gas, but in the innovation and technologies that are cutting per barrel emissions even as we ramp up production.

Where we are going — and where we intend to go with more frequency — is east, west, north and south, across oceans and around the globe. We have the energy other countries need, and will continue to need, for decades to come.

However, this agreement is just the first step in this journey. There is much hard work ahead of us. Trust must be built and earned in this partnership as we move through the next steps of this process.

But it’s very encouraging that Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it clear he is willing to work with Alberta’s government to accomplish our shared goal of making Canada an energy superpower.

That is something we have not seen from a Canadian prime minister in more than a decade.

Together, in good faith, Alberta and Ottawa have taken the first step towards making Canada a global energy superpower for benefit of all Canadians.

Danielle Smith is the Premier of Alberta