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August/September News & Updates
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Canada's self-sufficient airports sector
You may have seen in the news a series of op-eds that have been published that reveal how much airports have grown
since they were transferred to local airport authorities by the federal government in the 1990s. They have accrued a remarkable record for developing world class facilities without financial support from the federal government.
Airports operate on a not-for-profit basis, with all operating surpluses poured back into the airport. As a system, they don't receive subsidies -- on the contrary, they contributed $323 million to the federal government last year in "rent" -- nearly $5 billion total since transfer, while investing more than $21 billion in infrastructure. They have been reporting record levels of passengers and are seeing significant increases in non-aeronautical revenues.
This doesn't mean government policy toward airports and air transport is perfect. The approach of providing security screening at airports is continuing to result in unacceptable processing times. Smaller airports that can't sustain themselves without capital assistance need more robust programs. Airport rent and other elements of Canada's "user-pay" approach to funding the system should be reviewed.
Despite these challenges, the way airports govern themselves today is working, and any revisions should be made in close consultation with airports and community stakeholders and take into account the unique characteristics of Canada's varied regions.
Daniel-Robert Gooch
President, CAC
Links to recent op-eds by Daniel-Robert Gooch:
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Did You Know?
The air transport industry contributes over $35 billion to Canada in GDP.
Our airports support over 140,000 direct Canadian jobs.
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CAC will seek manager of environmental affairs
The CAC will soon begin the search for a manager of environmental affairs, safety and technical programs. The individual will work closely with Wayne Harvey, vice president of operational, technical and regulatory affairs. The individual will be responsible for the Environment Committee and its Aircraft Noise Working Group, the ACI-NA Environmental Affairs Committee, Canadian Aviation Safety Week, Airport Link and the Canadian Airports National Safety Audit Program. The CAC anticipates posting an ad in November. In the meantime, feel free to send your cover letter and resume to CAC Executive Assistant Holly Christian.
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Calgary's new international terminal will open in October
On October 31, YYC's new International Terminal will open to the world. The terminal will add 24 new gates to accommodate passengers travelling to the U.S. and other international destinations and will feature streamlined passenger check-in and connection facilities, in addition to two large retail plazas with new services and passenger amenities.
The complex will more than double the size of the existing terminal building. Its highly sustainable design will reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions making it one the world's most environmentally friendly terminals.
F
eatures include geothermal heating via in-floor radiant heat tubing, rainwater collection for use within the terminal and high-efficiency building envelope. The facility will also include a sophisticated energy-efficient baggage handling system for both inbound and outbound flights.
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Toronto Pearson celebrates implementation of new preclearance process
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Greater Toronto Airports Authority President and CEO Howard Eng, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman and Transport Minister Marc Garneau celebrated the completion of a two-year Toronto Pearson International Airport collaborative Security in Advance project in July.
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This project at Toronto Pearson, the fourth largest U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) port of entry to the U.S., was developed and implemented to meet new U.S. CBP regulatory requirements and improve passenger flow for U.S.-bound passengers using the preclearance process.
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TSA reports shortened airport lines
The Transportation Security Administration has reported that wait times have significantly reduced at security screening checkpoints at their airports in the U.S. this summer. About 98 percent of fliers waited 30 minutes or less. In the meantime, large airports in Canada reported long waits at their airports this summer due to record levels of passengers.
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Airports seek changes to ACAP's eligibility criteria
Earlier this summer, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced $27.6 million in funding for 13 regional airports under the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP). Several small airports have been active in the media, including
Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newson who met Minister Garneau shortly after his announcement. Newson expressed concerns that airports on federal land are unable to apply for ACAP funding. Charlottetown is one of six NAS airports across the country that fall in this category. There are inequities built into the eligibility criteria that exclude these airports because they are on federal land.
The President and CEO of the Saint John Airport, Derrick Stanford, recently had a commentary published in the Telegraph Journal highlighting the need to change the eligibility criteria so that airports can get access to financial capital assistance for safety-related projects to maintain the integrity of the transportation network.
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The Oshawa Executive Airport has joined the Canadian Airports Council. Oshawa joins North Peace Regional and Trail Regional as new member airports in the last couple of years. This brings the CAC's total number of members to 50, representing over 100 airports.
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Airport News
Large airports break passenger records
Most large airports in Canada reported strong growth in all sectors of traffic this year. From January to June, they reported a jump in the number of passengers compared to the same time period last year. For example, Halifax Stanfield saw an 8 per cent increase, Vancouver experienced a 7.6 per cent spike,Montreal's numbers grew by 6.9 per cent, and Toronto Pearson's numbers jumped 5.6 per cent.
NewLeaf takes off from more Canadian cities
At the end of July, NewLeaf Travel, Canada's newest low-cost travel, started flying out of
Hamilton, Kelowna and Winnipeg. The company
Greater Moncton International Airport receives new name in August
The Greater Moncton Romeo Leblanc International Airport was named after the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, who was the 25th Governor General of Canada from 1995-1999. He was the first Acadian and Atlantic Canadian to hold this office. He died of Alzheimer's disease in 2009.
Agricultural Land Commission clears way for YLW expansion
The Agricultural Land Commission, an independent administrative tribunal, has approved an agricultural land reserve exclusion application, involving 22 hectares at the south end of the Kelowna International Airport. This decision is critical for the future expansion and development of YLW, securing long-term sustainability of operations.
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