Editor's note: In January the Airport Management Council of Ontario publicly raised concerns that local airports in the province faced an uncertain future if decision makers do not acknowledge these critical points of infrastructure as municipal assets worthy of investment. A series of conversations with MPPs and the media has energized the organization to continue with its call to action and expand the conversation.
See related: Advocacy Group concerned about the future of Ontario airports
And: Northern Ontario airports, including Jack Garland, seek funds to prevent fee hikes
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To the editor:
The Airport Management Council of Ontario (AMCO) continues to advocate for local airports across Ontario in the immediate period following its January 2024 press release and letter-writing campaign that cultivated support for the airport industry from Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs).
It remains the objective of AMCO that municipalities view their local airports as municipal assets rather than a burden on their budgets, that these points of critical infrastructure remain operational as airports to facilitate essential public services, and that widespread public support for small and regional airports is achieved.
Following the January 2024 press release “The Future of Ontario’s Airports Is in Crisis Without Immediate Action”, Chris Wood, the President of AMCO and the Director of the Region of Waterloo International Airport, as well as Laura McNeice, the CEO of AMCO, were contacted by varied media outlets in which they shared the unified stance that local airports are essential municipal infrastructure thus requiring a similar level of attention and financial support.
As key staging points for important public services such as medical evacuations to forest firefighting, to the economic and social benefits of having air infrastructure near locales across the province, it is clear that small and regional airports are deserving of investments that ultimately lead to the sustainability of interconnected networks that Ontarians have come to rely upon.
Additionally, AMCO continues to engage in outreach activities with provincial politicians and relevant provincial ministries that rely on airport infrastructure as part of their operations. The organization has met with numerous MPPs in sessions that have resulted in the exchange of advice, ideas, and ultimately, a sense of agreement that airports are important to public services serving all Ontarians as well as the municipalities in which they are located. AMCO intends to broaden these discussions and will continue to petition that airports are recognized as critical infrastructure, that the defunct Ontario Air Advisory Panel be restored, and that a provincial funding program be implemented. We believe we can achieve these reasonable asks through continued engagement at the provincial-level and intend to follow this path.
AMCO is eager to discuss the complex issues facing small and regional airports in Ontario and we remain open to discussions with representatives from the media, municipalities, the province and beyond. It is our endeavour to build from the conversations that emerged in late-January and transition dialogue into tangible support for Ontario’s airports.
Laura McNeice
CEO, Airport Management Council of Ontario
