Charlottetown Airport doesn't qualify for federal infrastructure cash

It was only a quick visit, but Island MPs are hoping a meeting this week with Transport Minister Marc Garneau signals he's listening to their request for changes to the rules for infrastructure funding for small airports like the one in Charlottetown.

Garneau was in the region to announce funding for Marine Atlantic on Wednesday, and stopped at the Charlottetown Airport for a meeting with the airport authority, three of the Island's federal MPs, as well as officials from the city and province.

• Charlottetown Airport to start runway improvements with runway extension

"Right now, because of our stature of being located on federal land, we are ineligible to even apply for either an airports capital assistance program or federal infrastructure program like the Build Canada fund," said CEO Doug Newson.

"We're simply asking them to look at that, to try to find a way or a solution, to allow us at least to have the possibility to apply for some of those programs."

No federal dollars

We've been able to save up for these projects but we simply don't have enough funds today to pay for it all.- Doug Newson

But the federal government remains the owner of the property, making the airport ineligible for federal funding.

Charlottetown is one of six airports in a similar situation across the country.

"It's a significant project," said Newson.

"We've been able to save up for these projects but we simply don't have enough funds today to pay for it all."

Increasing fees?

Construction has started on the runway extension, said Newson, using money the airport has put aside for the project.
But he said they don't have enough funds to pay for the main runway reconstruction.

Being able to apply for infrastructure dollars, he said, would mean the airport does not have to increase fees and fares for customers.

"We really want to try to keep our fees and our fares to our customers, our passengers, our airlines as low as possible and funding support for these projects would certainly go a long way to allow us to do it."

Newson describes the Charlottetown airport as being "between a rock and a hard place right now," one of six small airports across the country with fewer than half a million passengers a year, and located on federal land.

"There are programs for airports of that size, simply not programs for airports on federal land," he said.

Island MPs also lobbying Garneau

Federal MP Sean Casey also attended the meeting with the federal minister.

"When you look at the situation across the country, and the case we made to the minister today, is that it isn't really fair."

The Island delegation left the meeting with the federal minister feeling as if they had made some progress.

"Obviously we were thrilled to have the opportunity," said Newson.

"He was only here for a short period ... andwe're certainly pleased he took the time out of his very busy schedule to be here."

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