The Canadian AMDAR Program is one of the cornerstones of the modernization of the Canadian Upper Air Program. After a Business Case on the benefits of a Canadian AMDAR Program was presented to the Canadian air carriers in March 2000, the Meteorological Service of Canada formed the Canadian AMDAR Program Implementation Team (CAPIT) to oversee all aspects of the development of the Canadian AMDAR Program. CAPIT membership includes Nav Canada, Canadian air carriers, a representative from NOAA/FSL and the Technical Coordinator of the WMO AMDAR Panel.

An update on the development of the Canadian AMDAR Program will be provided. The development has started with two regional airlines, Air Canada Jazz and First Air. First Air is an airline servicing the northern communities of Canada such that a datalink system different from the ACARS based system must be developed. Preliminary results from the testing of an alternative AMDAR system based on the Internet and a Low Earth Orbiting communications satellite will be presented.