York experts available to provide insights as investigation into Air Canada crash progresses
Following the fatal Air Canada collision at LaGuardia Airport, questions are emerging about aviation safety protocols, emergency response coordination, aircraft systems and potential economic and regulatory implications for the airline industry. As investigators work to determine the cause, York University experts are available to provide context and analysis across these areas.
Steven Tufts is a labour geographer and associate professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. He is a past spokesperson for the Toronto Airport Workers’ Council, an organization representing Pearson International Airport’s 50,000 workers and its largest unions. He frequently provides media commentary on labour issues related to aviation, hospitality and service industries.
His research focuses on labour markets, employment relations and the geography of work, with a particular emphasis on trade unions and workforce dynamics in service industries. His work examines how working conditions, labour organization and economic restructuring shape industry performance, including in the transportation and hospitality sectors.
He is available to comment on:
- Labour dynamics in the airline industry, including working conditions, scheduling and workforce pressures
- The relationship between labour practices and operational performance in aviation
- Economic and industry impacts of major aviation incidents, including recovery, regulation and workforce implications
Jack L. Rozdilsky is an associate professor of Disaster & Emergency Management. His research examines disaster response operations, hazard mitigation and non-routine emergencies, such as transportation disasters and mass casualty incidents.
Rozdilsky frequently provides media analysis on public safety, emergency preparedness and crisis response, including the Delta Flight 4819 crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year.
He is available to comment on:
- Public safety and emergency response coordination following an aviation disaster
- Disaster management protocols, inter-agency collaboration and lessons learned from response efforts
- Risk management in high-reliability organization settings like airports
Ali Asgary is a professor of Disaster & Emergency Management, executive director of York’s Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation (ADERSIM) lab and director of CIFAL York, part of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) network.
An expert in disaster, emergency and business continuity management, Asgary’s work focuses on modelling, simulation and decision-support systems for crisis management. His research examines how complex emergencies, including aviation incidents, can be better managed through data-driven and AI-enabled planning tools.
He is available to comment on:
- Disaster simulation and emergency management systems
- Decision-support technologies and AI solutions for airport emergency response and recovery coordination
- Risk reduction, response coordination and recovery planning in complex emergencies
