Statement by the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning the release of Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752’s voice/data recorder read out report by the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran

August 23, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario – Transport Canada and Global Affairs Canada

The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, today issued the following statement:

“Canada was deeply affected by the lives lost on January 8, 2020, when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran, Iran. Fifty-five of the 176 people who perished were Canadian. Others had close ties to Canada.

“The Government of Canada has received a copy of the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ukrainian Airline’s Flight Recorder Read-out Report. 

“This preliminary report only provides limited and selected information regarding this tragic event. The report only mentions what transpired after the first missile strike but not the second and only confirms information that we already know.

“We expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to provide an answer on important questions of why the missiles were launched in the first place and why the air space was open. These are the questions that Canada, Canadians and most importantly, the families of the innocent victims need answered.

“Canada continues to call on Iran to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and we expect Iran to live up to its commitment and the ICAO standards set out in Annex 13.”