Dear members, dear partners,

The last few days have been full of mobilization and concerted actions for Aéro Montréal: we held our Annual General Meeting, launched the Alliance for the Aerospace Recovery, and held a roundtable discussion in the form of a webinar on the strategic importance of aerospace in Québec and in Canada.

By proposing the Alliance for the Aerospace Recovery, we have proactively paved the way for the development of a concrete action plan that can be quickly implemented and adapted to the needs of the Québec aerospace industry in the context of COVID-19. This committee, under the direction of the Board of Directors and in concert with the various levels of government, will define the priority development areas and opportunities available to the sector in the short, medium and long term.

To support this collective and non-traditional approach to the market, a ground-breaking strategic roundtable discussion was held last Friday. This event brought together nearly 300 people and provided an opportunity to take stock of the important position our industry can have in the country's economy and the global supply chain. We brought together key players, including the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, who took the opportunity to announce the launch of a consultation on updating the 2021-2026 Québec aerospace strategy. This latest consultation comes at the right time and will make it possible to include the measures that will have to be put in place in the context of the current crisis, which may last several years.

Alain Dubuc, HEC Associate Professor, also reminded us that, in this process, one of the first levers would be to consider our industry as a strategic sector for Canada, which is the envy of many countries in the world. If you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, I invite you to delve deeper into the subject by consulting the following two reports (in French only): the analysis grid to identify strategic industries and support measures for the aerospace sector.

Without a doubt, in the face of this unprecedented crisis, Aéro Montréal is demonstrating its determination to work together in a versatile manner, reflecting our provincial champion - the aerospace industry.