Role and remit
Anthony MacKay leads safety and quality at NAV CANADA as VP and Chief Safety & Quality Officer, with responsibility spanning:
- Safety management — NAV CANADA's Safety Management System (SMS), including hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety performance monitoring across all ATC operations
- Quality assurance — quality management frameworks governing operational procedures, training, and equipment across NAV CANADA's 18-million-square-kilometre area of responsibility
- Just culture — NAV CANADA's just culture framework, which governs how safety events are reported, investigated, and learned from — a critical element of the organisation's strong safety record
- Regulatory compliance — managing relationships with Transport Canada and ensuring NAV CANADA's operations meet national and ICAO safety standards
MacKay's role at ASW 2026 reflects the growing prominence of safety culture and safety management as topics at the intersection of automation, human performance, and the organisation-level frameworks that determine how well ANSPs learn from incidents.
About NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA is a private, non-share-capital corporation providing civil air navigation services across Canada and the Gander oceanic FIR. It handles approximately 1.7 million IFR flights annually and is widely regarded internationally for its safety management practices and its just culture implementation.