AIRPORTS CAPITAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Airports Capital Assistance Program provides funding for capital projects related to safety, asset protection and operating cost reduction. To be eligible, an airport must receive year-round regularly scheduled passenger service, meet Transport Canada airport certification requirements and not be owned or operated by the Government of Canada.

The current five-year program will allocate $190 million by March 2010 – at an average of $38 million per year. Contributions are considered for the following types of projects:

First priority projects include safety-related airside projects, such as rehabilitation of runways, taxiways, aprons, lighting and other utilities, visual aids and sand storage sheds. This category also includes related site preparation and environmental costs, aircraft firefighting vehicles and ancillary equipment and equipment shelters that are necessary to maintain the level of protection required by regulation.

Second priority projects include heavy safety-related airside mobile equipment, such as runway snowblowers, runway snowplows, runway sweepers, spreaders and decelerometers (winter friction testing devices), and heavy airside mobile equipment shelters.

Third priority projects include safety-related heavy air terminal building and groundside projects, such as sprinkler systems, asbestos removal and barrier-free access.

Fourth priority projects include asset protection and refurbishing, and operating cost reduction related to air terminal building or groundside access.

Transport Canada also sets priorities based on detailed technical analyses of facility conditions and maintenance histories, airport traffic and certification requirements.

To be eligible, projects must maintain or improve safety levels, protect airport assets or significantly reduce operating costs. Projects must also meet accepted engineering practices and be justified on the basis of current demand. Airport facility expansion projects will only be considered if the current facilities have a potentially negative impact on safety at the airport.

Through the Airports Capital Assistance Program, the Government of Canada is improving airport safety, as well as helping the economic viability of this important aspect of Canada's transportation infrastructure.

The Airports Capital Assistance Program is part of the National Airports Policy, which calls for the commercialization of designated Canadian airports, through divestiture to community interests. The policy enables communities to take greater advantage of their airports, reduce costs, tailor levels of service to local demand, and attract new and different types of business.

April 2007