Ottawa Spent $120 Million on Cargo Flights to Ship PPE from China in 2020: Documents

A crew get ready to unload medical supplies from an Antonov AN-225 cargo transporter upon arriving from China at Mirabel Airport in Mirabel, Que. on May 1, 2020. The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson

The Canadian government spent $120 million chartering cargo flights to ship personal protective equipment (PPE) from China in the first 90 days of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Documents obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter through an Access to Information request show that federal agencies had to charter planes after failing to maintain a national stockpile of masks, gloves, and medical gowns.