Faced with the obsolescence of its fleet of aircraft dedicated to emergency medical evacuations, Quebec is finally taking steps to acquire two new aircraft. An operation whose cost could potentially amount to several tens of millions of dollars.
The Ministry of Transport has been authorized to begin discussions with Bombardier in order to conclude a private contract for the acquisition of two Challenger 650 aircraft, according to a decree published Monday in the Official Gazette.
This purchase is necessary to “avoid a disruption in services and, consequently, a risk to the health of critical customers,” it states.
The list price of a new Challenger 650 is around $35 million. A price on which Bombardier customers usually receive a discount during negotiation.
The government remains cautious, arguing that the decree is mainly intended as a formality to begin preliminary discussions with Bombardier. While a private contract is an option being considered, there is no indication that a formal call for tenders will not be launched soon.
The Ministry of Transport, which was responsible for these negotiations, had not yet specified on Wednesday what its timetable was for the acquisition of these two aircraft. It is also not clear whether Quebec wants to obtain turnkey aircraft or whether other contracts are being awarded to fit them out for use in medical evacuations.
A long saga
Note that, on its website, Bombardier specifies that the Challenger 650 can be fitted to accommodate “up to 4 stretchers for medical evacuation”.
The Legault government has been planning for almost two years on scenarios to replace its Challenger jets used for medical air transport, which have recently experienced a series of dramatic failures.
The Press revealed last January that Quebec was leaning towards acquiring Bombardier jets, but the choice had not yet been made as to whether they would be new or used.
A few weeks earlier, a patient who was supposed to be rushed to Montreal died on the tarmac at Val-d’Or airport. The tragedy occurred at a time when the Government Air Service (SAG) was experiencing a series of failures related to the unavailability of pilots and the age of its planes, the agency also revealed. The Press.
Last month, in reports including one specifically on this death, two coroners called on Quebec to speed up the replacement of its outdated planes and ensure there is enough aeromedical transport available.
With Henri-Ouellette Vézina and Julien Arsenault, The Press