FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2017
OTTAWA – Canada’s airports look forward to working with the Government of Canada on its National Trade Corridors Fund, enabling all National Airport System (NAS) airports to apply for funding to support more efficient transportation corridors. A separate, more tailored call for proposals will be made available for small NAS airports.
“While most of the 26 NAS airports transferred from the federal government to local entities have been funding all of their infrastructure on their own, some smaller airports that have fewer passengers have struggled to raise enough revenue to improve safety infrastructure at their airports,” said Doug Newson, chair of the Canadian Airports Council’s Small Airports Caucus, and chief executive officer of the Charlottetown Airport Authority. “We are glad they will be able to apply for funding for important safety-related improvements.”
The government’s announcement today will enable airports with less than 600,000 passengers annually to apply for federal funding for safety-related projects. Six of them were ineligible for funding from most major federal infrastructure programs in the past because they are located on federal land.
“As gateways to the communities they serve, Atlantic Canada’s airports have an integral role in furthering the economic prosperity of this country,” said Monette Pasher, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association, which represents four of the airports that have been ineligible for federal funding. “They provide local businesses efficient access to regional, national, and international destinations. As a result, our airports have grown, and we are pleased our members will be able to access much needed federal funding.”
About the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC), a division of Airports Council International-North America, is the voice for Canada’s airports community. Its 51 members represent more than 100 airports, including all of the privately operated National System Airports (NAS) and many municipal airports across Canada.
CAC member airports handle more than 90 per cent of the commercial air traffic in Canada, and an even greater share of international traffic. Canada’s air transport sector employs more than 140,000 direct workers and generates about $35 billion in economic activity and contributes $7 billion in federal taxes.
About the Atlantic Canada Airports Association
The ACAA represents 12 airports in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The region’s airports nearly 8 million passengers and approximately 60,000 metric tons of cargo annually and account for over 28,000 jobs in the region. Atlantic Canada’s airports are significant economic generators with passenger and cargo traffic generating over $4.4 billion annually into the Atlantic Canada economy.
