A Call for Government Funding
The Study of Ontario’s Airports and Aerodromes by HM Aero Aviation Consulting, prepared for the Airport Management Council of Ontario (AMCO) highlights the major challenges facing Ontario’s airports, including financial pressures, regulatory changes, and the need for provincial and federal funding. To ensure the future of these vital economic and social assets, the report recommends increased capital funding programs and stronger government partnerships to support critical infrastructure renewal.
AMCO President and Director of Region of Waterloo International Airport Chris Wood, AAE says “This study is imperative to understanding the vital role of Ontario’s airports within our province. It captures the complexity of the issues confronting the airport operators and the critical need for provincial and federal funding support.”
Ontario’s airports directly contribute to the provincial economy and play pivotal roles in the communities they serve. Key services include facilitation of air ambulance flights, disaster evacuation, wildfire suppression, law enforcement activities, local economic development. Each of these roles require maintenance of infrastructure assets to meet requirements of the highly regulated air transportation sector and support safe aircraft operations. Degradation of infrastructure threatens the future of Ontario’s airports.
As a result, the Study recommends that the Government of Ontario take on an increased leadership role in championing the provincial airport network and implement a capital funding program similar to those in other provinces. As well, there are calls to action for the federal government, primarily permanently increasing funding allocated to the Airports Capital Assistance Program
(ACAP) to $95M per year in order to appropriately address the needs and costs associated with implementing safety-related projects.
Read the study here
Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program (OACAP)
In 2024, after meeting with numerous provincial politicians, AMCO drafted the Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program (OACAP). This potential source of capital assistance was created with the key objective to address the funding gap experienced by small airports and aerodromes that are ineligible for federal programming. Eligibility criteria is based on the precedence setting programs in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan as these provinces demonstrate that such capital assistance can be fiscally responsible and permanent.
AMCO requests that the Government of Ontario provides $10 million per year for this purpose. Funding could be sourced from the aviation fuel tax. It is envisioned that the OACAP be managed by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). Eligibility criteria for airports and potential projects as well as a cost sharing ratio have all been determined through AMCO research and discussions.
The Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program includes two non-monetary asks as well. Firstly, it requests that the Province of Ontario restore the joint industry and government Ontario Air Advisory Panel to address issues of concern and set priorities. Secondly, it requests that airports be enshrined as critical infrastructure. Designation as infrastructure may be key to opening up new funding opportunities for small airports and aerodromes across the province.
Raising awareness of the OACAP is a key advocacy priority of AMCO and the association is always willing to meet those willing to discuss it. At the current time, potential program has been shared with municipal representatives, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), and relevant Ministries in Ontario.
Read the OACAP here
