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20 WINGS | March/April 2015 WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: CAC

A clear example is the Canadian Air
Transport Security Authority (CATSA),

which is funded through a levy on every
ticket purchased. While the number of

passengers being screened at Canadian
airports has risen considerably over the

last five years, putting more money into
the treasury, CATSA’s funding has been

frozen to 2010 levels.
“We have an air traveller security

charge which is among the highest in the
world. But the funding model where the

corporation is dependent on appropria-
tions from parliament is not working,”

Gooch points out. While the security
charge also pays for Transport Canada’s

aviation security function and a few other
security programs, there is still a yawning

gap in excess of $100 million on what

CATSA collects on the government’s be-

half and how the money is spent. “Even if

you accept that the air travellers security

charges goes to covering those other ar-

eas, the cost associated with those areas

do not growth with traffic the way service

required by passengers grows. Screening

is not benefiting from any of the increase

in funding.”

Another example is the $38 million

Airports Capital Assistance Program

(ACAP) which is supposed to assist non-

National Airport System (NAS) airports

with a specific level of scheduled traffic

to receive infrastructure funding for

projects related to safety. Except funding

for the ACAP has not increased since the

NAS was introduced in 1996, and is only

13 per cent of the revenue the government

hauled in from airport rents last year.

The application is also cumbersome

and difficult to understand to the point

where some of Canada’s bigger smaller

airports help out the smaller ones with

the paperwork.

Then there are the approvals. “There is

inconsistency in decisions that are being

made,” Gooch said. “We are seeing proj-

ects being denied that should be eligible

under the priority areas being articulated

in the program. As a result, some of the

money in the program is not being spent

every year. We believe that it could be.”

In fact, the CAC estimates that if the

program worked as it is supposed to, it

Since Transport Canada offloaded airports to local authorities, the industry has invested more than $17 billion in new facilities while keeping its hand out of the
taxpayer’s pocket.