Part 3 – Division 6
Questions & Answers
Airport Information Provision
Q. Why is this measure necessary?
A. Most of Canada’s airports are operated by either private not-for-profit corporations or other levels of government, which currently have limited obligations to disclose information to the Minister of Transport. This measure will ensure that the Minister of Transport has the authority to, if necessary, require airport owners and operators to disclose information, including confidential financial information, where necessary to support the development of transportation policy.
Q. Which airports will this measure apply to?
A. The Minister of Transport may use this measure to request information from any airport owner, operator or parties whose activities might affect the value of the airport. As it is a discretionary provision, any request for information made using this measure would be tailored to the specific airport owner or operator from whom the information is being requested. The proposed measure seeks to provide the Minister with the ability to request information in situations that warrant it. It remains that the Government of Canada will continue to collaborate with airport authorities to obtain information on a voluntary basis and as such this new authority will be a backstop in certain circumstances.
Q. What types of information could the Minister request?
A. The Minister of Transport may request information that they consider necessary for the development of transportation policies or to exercise their powers or perform duties and functions under the Canada Transportation Act or any other Act of Parliament. This could include information respecting the value of an airport or an airport owner or operator, or information respecting air transportation system capacity and development. This information can be used for multiple policy objectives, such as improving the passenger experience, finding opportunities to make air travel more affordable, or ensuring constraints on regional connectivity are identified and rectified. Some specific types of information that could be requested include financial data, including historical data, passenger forecasts, business and capital plans, material contracts, asset condition and technical information, and financing information.
Q. How will this measure help airport operations and/or governance?
A. This measure will provide the Minister of Transport with the authority to request information to support transportation policy development, including the development of policies that may relate to airport operations, such as improving the passenger experience as well as governance practice.
Q. Why is this measure necessary at this time?
A. In Budget 2025, the Government committed to examine options for airport privatisation. To support this work, the Government requires access to information that will enable it to assess the value of key airports and key airport owners and operators. This measure could also be used to support other policy development work in the future to improve the passenger experience, service quality and affordability. While the Government prefers to work collaboratively with airport owners and operators when possible, this measure may be necessary as a backstop in certain circumstances.
Q. Why is the Government not taking action on the other airport investment initiatives announced in Budget 2025?
A. Budget 2025 announced that the Government would be: negotiating lease extensions with airport authorities; enabling more economic development activities on airport lands; examining the airport ground lease rent formulas; and considering options for the privatisation of airports. Work on all of these workstreams continues to advance in parallel.
Q. Why is the department considering airport privatisation?
A. As signalled in Budget 2025, the Government is taking action to unlock more of the economic potential of Canada’s airports and to consider new ways to attract private sector investment. Airports are key economic enablers, and investment in airports can drive economic growth.
Since the 1990s, most of Canada’s largest airports have been operated by private not-for-profit non-share-capital airport authorities. Transport Canada is exploring whether a shift to an alternate ownership model, such as a for-profit share-capital ownership model, would enable select airports to attract more private investment, including equity investments. The department is working collaboratively with air sector stakeholders, including airport owners and operators, to advance this work.
Q. How will airport privatisation benefit airports, the air sector and Canadians?
A. The Government is currently undertaking an assessment of different airport ownership models. The analytical work that will be done in the course of that assessment will examine how a shift to a for-profit airport operator would impact airports, the air sector and Canadians. The Government is committed to evidence-based decision making, and recognizes that it will be important to consider a wide range of factors when assessing the merits of any given airport ownership model.
Q. [Question about a specific airport]
A. As work on transportation policy development progresses, the Minister of Transport may request information from different airports to support the policy analysis process on an as needed basis, such as during a significant operational challenge or disruption, so that a coordinated response can return the system to normal operations.
Q. Who would this measure apply to beside airport owners and operators?
A. This measure would also apply to other aviation facilities owners and operators, and to any individuals or entities whose activities could affect the value of the airport or other aviation facility or the entity that owns or operates the airport or aviation facility, or its owner or operator. This could include airlines, airport contractors and subcontractors, airport tenants and subtenants, airport concessionaires, airport lenders, and others. In all cases, the expectation is that the Minister of Transport’s authorities under the measure would be deployed selectively and on an as needed basis when other more collaborative means of obtaining the necessary information have been unsuccessful.
There is no intention to scope in municipal housing developments.