The voice of Canada’s airports.
Monday, April 2, 2007 -
Canada’s Small Airports Need Reliable, Permanent Source of Funds for Safety Infrastructure, CAC Says
ACAP
program provides vital funds for small airport infrastructure projects
OTTAWA (April 2, 2007) – The Canadian
Airports Council, the voice of Canada’s airports, today commended the
government for its $33 million investment in 28 small airport infrastructure
projects under the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP).However, the CAC called on the government to
fulfill an election campaign pledge to increase the amount of funds provided to
Canada’s
small airports for these projects, and to make ACAP permanent.
“Canada’s small airports are vital
economic and social gateways for Canadian communities large and small, and many
small airports are dependent on the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) as
their only source of capital,” said Canadian Airports Council President and CEO
Jim Facette. “In keeping with the government’s commitment to the nation’s
transportation infrastructure, a well-funded and permanent ACAP program is
needed to ensure the future of this vital part of our transportation network.”
Canada’s
smallest airports have more difficulty obtaining capital for infrastructure
maintenance and upgrades through commercial markets due to less stable traffic,
and fewer, less favourable balance sheets.In response to a questionnaire posed by the CAC during the last federal election
campaign, the Conservative Party agreed with the CAC that the federal
government must work with provincial and municipal authorities to ensure the
viability of small and regional airports.The party pledged to increase the amount of funding available under the
ACAP program, and to simplify the application process.
The CAC contends that small airports play
an important role in the national economy by connecting small communities with
national and international opportunities for trade.More than half the traffic at small airports
is business-related, and almost half the aircraft movements are cargo
flights.Small airports also play an
essential emergency service role to their communities through such services as
MedEvac and firefighting.
“Funding for Canada’s small airports today is
inadequate to meet the long-term infrastructure needs of Canadian
communities.Clearly change is needed,”
said Mr. Facette.“A new small airport infrastructure
strategy is what Canada
needs if our smaller airports are to fully enjoy access to the opportunities
for trade within Canada
and with the world.”
The CAC is supportive of this government’s
ongoing efforts to invest in an efficient transportation network and hope the
new $8.8 billion Building Canada fund announced in the recent 2007 budget will
include an opportunity for infrastructure projects at Canada’s
smaller airports.
About
the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.Its 43 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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