Profile: Nadir Patel

Opening up the skies with tough negotiations

Nadir Patel’s job is to open up the skies to Canadians. It’s a tough assignment, but years of experience in the Public Service have honed Nadir’s skills as a shrewd negotiator.

Nadir’s mandate, as Canada’s Chief Air Negotiator with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, is to negotiate treaties on airspace access for foreign carriers in Canada and Canadian carriers in other countries.

Air agreements are critical to growth in Canadian trade, investment and tourism. They are worth billions of dollars to Canada’s economy.

Getting the best possible deal

“Other countries are determined to employ all their negotiating skills to exploit whatever economic, political or public relations they can to favour their national concerns,” says Nadir. “My job is simple: to get the best possible deal for Canada.”

Since his appointment in the fall of 2006, Nadir has led the implementation of Canada’s Blue Sky policy on international air transport, which seeks open skies agreements with other countries when it’s in Canada’s best interests. He has already held bilateral discussions or negotiations with more than 50 countries and concluded 16 new air agreements. He has also launched negotiations with the European Union to establish a single open skies framework with 27 countries.

“Basically, my job is to provide the best framework for air services to operate,” says Nadir. “Currently, we have a total of about 80 air transport agreements.”

Gruelling negotiations

Nadir says the negotiations can be gruelling, and he often handles talks with several countries at the same time.

“We could have 20 or so informal negotiations at a given time,” Nadir says. “I could be dealing with one issue this morning and another issue with a different country tomorrow morning.”

Nadir’s Public Service experience has prepared him for the challenge. After joining in the early 1990s, Nadir rose steadily in a variety of positions, from tax auditor at the Canada Revenue Agency to Senior Policy Advisor to the Clerk of the Privy Council.

Unique appeal

Nadir says his work has a unique appeal. “I wanted something that had an opportunity with some international exposure and a business dimension to it,” he says. “What other employer can offer such an incredible range of opportunities that contribute to positively affecting the lives of Canadians?”

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