The Canadian government should pass a law to cap the amount of money that the country’s airport authorities can charge in airport improvement fees, Flair Air’s executive chairman David Tait says.
Tait’s airline in June 2018 converted to an ultra-low-cost carrier from being a charter airline, and it aims to keep base fares for passengers as low as possible.
The fees lure many B.C. travellers across the U.S. border to Bellingham, Tait says.
Tait’s data shows the following fees for out-of-province departures within Canada at airports at which Flair flies:
- Abbotsford International Airport: $0
- Vancouver International Airport: $20
- Kelowna International Airport: $20
- Toronto Pearson International Airport: $25
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport: $25
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport: $28
- Edmonton International Airport: $30
- Calgary International Airport: $30
He then compared those rates to ones that are about half as steep in the U.S.
“The U.S. equivalent to AIFs is Passenger Facility Charges, however these are federally limited to US$4.50 per segment, and can, if desired, be charged by both the point of departure and point of arrival airports for a maximum of US$9 per one-way segment – US$18 per round trip,” he said.
Vancouver Airport Authority corporate communications manager Brock Penner explained that Canadian airports operate differently than airports in the U.S.
“Vancouver Airport Authority is a community-based, not-for-profit organization, and we receive no money from the government to operate the airport,” he told BIV. “The AIF is an important part of the Canadian airport business model. It is collected to support capital infrastructure projects like runways and terminals to ensure we have a safe and efficient airport.”
Penner added that his airport has the lowest AIF of any major airport in Canada, at $5 for people travelling within B.C. and the Yukon, and $20 for passengers travelling outside of B.C.
“In 2018, the [Vancouver] Airport Authority collected $172.1 million in AIF revenue and invested $351.1 million in capital projects,” he said.
