Aviation Workers Mobilize Against Ottawa’s Airport Privatization Plans

Opposition to Ottawa’s plan to bring private investment into Canada’s four largest airports is growing, with transport and airport workers preparing to stage demonstrations in Calgary and Vancouver amid concerns about rising passenger fees and the future of airport operations.

The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) has launched a national campaign, “Airport Privatization: Why Risk It?”, challenging Ottawa’s proposal to introduce private-sector participation at Toronto Pearson, Vancouver International, Montreal-Trudeau and Calgary International airports.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the potential consequences of airport privatization for workers, travellers and communities that depend on these major transportation hubs.

As part of its efforts, UCTE is organizing two mobilization events, beginning Monday, October 26, at Calgary airport (YYC), followed by a rally at Vancouver airport (YVR) on Saturday, October 31. Details can be found here.

Ottawa’s Airport Investment Plan

The campaign follows a September announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney that the federal government intends to attract private investment into Canada’s four largest airports through long-term operating concessions.

Under the proposal, private investors, including pension funds and First Nations, could bid on long-term agreements to manage airport operations, while the federal government would retain ownership of the underlying land and assets.

The PM, at the time, said agreements with private investors could generate “tens of billions of dollars” for investing into infrastructure that “Canada needs for the next generation.”

The airport proposal forms part of a broader effort to attract $1 trillion in investment across approximately 167 Canadian projects over the next five years.

Airline Warns of Higher Passenger Fees

As previously reported, the Canadian government has promised safeguards against rising airport fees as it moves forward with the proposal.

But one airline executive is calling for clear regulations to prevent additional costs from being passed on to travellers.

Speaking with the Canadian Press this month, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said international examples demonstrate both the potential benefits and risks of private airport management.

Having witnessed “the good and the bad” of airport privatization, von Hoensbroech cautioned against allowing operators unrestricted control over fees.

“If you just privatize it and then you just let the market play out, it’s a risky game because a private investor will try to maximize the returns and an airport is a local monopoly,” he told CP.

“The temptation just to increase passenger fees would be really high,” he added, pointing to London’s Heathrow Airport and some Australian airports “where it has really gone in the wrong direction.”

Labour organizations, including the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and CUPE, have also raised concerns about the potential impact on airport workers, citing international examples such as Sydney Airport, where the workforce was reportedly reduced by 40 per cent.

They warn that privatization in Canada could lead to job losses, wage suppression, increased outsourcing and the restructuring of service contracts.

Aviation Workers Push Back

UCTE’s campaign is the latest sign of organized labour’s opposition to the proposed changes.

The campaign has received support from the Airline Division Council of Presidents (ADCP), whose president, Wesley Lesosky, issued a notice encouraging flight attendants to stand alongside airport workers.

“As Flight Attendants, we stand in solidarity with UCTE and all airport workers in opposing airport privatization,” the notice states.

“This is an important issue that affects not only airport employees, but everyone who works in aviation, as well as the travelling public…Airports are essential to Canada’s transportation network, and decisions about their future have implications for everyone who works in our industry.”

Public opinion divided

Public opinion also appears divided on the proposal, with opposition outweighing support, according to a recent Nanos Research survey conducted for CTV News.

The poll, involving 1,057 Canadians, found that 47 per cent oppose or somewhat oppose allowing private investors to operate the country’s four largest airports, compared with 38 per cent who support or somewhat support the plan.