Ontario Premier Doug Ford has expressed his full support for the Prime Minister’s initiative to transfer control of Canada’s top four airports, including Toronto Pearson, to private investors. Ford hailed the concept as “fantastic” and proposed extending it to encompass Toronto’s island airport.
Ford has persistently advocated for the expansion of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to enable jet operations, despite the federal government’s prior rejection of the plan. He views the island airport as an excellent candidate for privatization, emphasizing its readiness for development and the substantial economic advantages it could bring.
During an unrelated press briefing, Ford commended the Prime Minister’s proactive stance, stating, “The PM is taking decisive action by privatizing airports that should have been privatized long ago.” Prime Minister Mark Carney recently disclosed that, under the proposed airport privatization strategy, the federal government would maintain ownership of the airport land and assets.
Carney clarified that the government’s objective is not to privatize airports outright but rather to restructure their operations. The revenue generated from this initiative would be reinvested in regional airports for further development and enhancement.
