The voice of Canada’s airports.
Monday, July 30, 2007 -
Airports group welcomes opportunity to
work with government
in development of competitiveness plan
OTTAWA (July 30, 2007) – The Canadian Airports Council today welcomed the
announcement from the federal government and the governments of Ontario and Québec on
the development of a Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor.The organization, which serves as the voice
of Canada’s
airports says it looks forward to working with the governments in their initiatives
to boost Canadian competitiveness.
“In its announcement today, the federal
government recognises that ‘efficient gateways and corridors will fuel economic
growth and boost Canada's
competitiveness in global markets,’” said CAC President and CEO Jim
Facette.“We couldn’t agree more, and
look forward to working with the government on the domestic and international
policies and other initiatives required to make the gateway strategy a true
success.”
In a speech to the National Business
Traveller Association delivered in Boston last
week, Mr. Facette highlighted a recent report from the House of Commons
Standing Committee on International Trade in its spring recommendations to the
government to improve Canada’s
competitiveness in the world. Among the recommendations was a call to
accelerate international air service liberalization and modernize domestic
policies.
In Boston,
Mr. Facette said that for airports, a competitive business strategy also means
good domestic policy. In its report, the standing committee contends that in
order for Canada
to be given a chance to compete on a level playing field, it must “modernize
and strengthen its infrastructure, tax, regulatory, human resources,
innovation, and other domestic policies to ensure that Canadian companies are
as well positioned as they possibly can be to compete in the global economy.”
“Canada’s
airports are encouraged by this government’s commitment to international
competitiveness for Canadian business through the development of a Continental Gateway
and Trade Corridor for Ontario
and Québec,” said
Mr. Facette.“The competitiveness of Canada’s
airports must be an essential part of this commitment from the government, with
its objective of a ‘strategic, integrated and globally competitive
transportation system that better supports the movement of international trade.’”
About
the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.Its 46 members represent more than 150 airports, including all of the National Airports System (NAS) airports and most significant municipal airports in every province and territory. Together, CAC members handle virtually all of the nation’s air cargo and international passenger traffic and 95% of domestic passenger traffic.They create well in excess of $30 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve.And more than 150,000 jobs are directly associated with CAC member airports, generating a payroll of more than $8 billion annually.
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For more
information:
Daniel-Robert
Gooch,
Director of
Communications
Canadian
Airports Council
(613) 560-9302
ext 16
daniel.gooch@cacairports.ca