Canadian Airport Leaders Gather in Ottawa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2017

 

OTTAWA – Senior executives from more than two dozen airports across the country are in Ottawa today to meet with parliamentarians and highlight the important role airports play in Canada’s economy.

“Airports provide connections for passengers and cargo across Canada and around the world, resulting in greater global reach and increased business, export, tax revenues, tourism and job opportunities for Canada,” said Daniel-Robert Gooch, president of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC). “Canada’s airports are seeing tremendous growth in many parts of the country. Airports are answering this challenge by investing in the future, ensuring airport capacity is able to absorb demand in our regions while improving the experience for travellers.”

Canada’s air transport sector is dynamic and growing, contributing $35 billion in economic activity and $7 billion in federal taxes. Handling more than 133-million passengers a year, Canada’s airports have invested $22 billion in their infrastructure since 1992 without taxpayer support. This has enabled airports to modernize and expand to meet the strong growing demand for air travel in Canada and the world, creating jobs and better serving travellers in the process.

“Canada’s airports have been transformed over the last couple of decades into self-sufficient, modern, world-class facilities,” said Gooch. “Canada’s airports are strategic economic infrastructure assets that drive tourism and trade, providing people and businesses with effective and efficient connectivity to places across Canada and around the world. But we still have a lot of work to do to ensure Canadians better understand how their airports are operated today and their role in supporting economic growth, tourism and international trade.”

Unveiling Harmony in Motion

The CAC’s Airports on the Hill initiative coincides with the launch of a digital media campaign, called Harmony in Motion, which seeks to demystify the crucial role airports play in the economy and in the lives of Canadians.

The content for the campaign will be hosted in an online hub with statistics and factual content on Canada’s airports, their significant investments in infrastructure, contribution to the economy, and the commendable efforts by airports to promote the smooth flow of goods, services and people in Canada and around the globe. An online video brings to life the interconnectivity of Canada’s airports and the significant investments that have been made. Harmony in Motion can be found at: hub.cacairports.ca

About Canada’s Airports and 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 Airport System (NAS) airport and many municipal airports across Canada.  They handle more than 90 per cent of the commercial air traffic in Canada, and a greater share of international traffic.

 

About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.