Aviation experts speaking to delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention in Whistler painted a picture that shows an industry with multiple developments and airports across the province facing significant challenges.
Another issue concerns geo-political stability. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the western-imposed sanctions on Russia have had an immediate impact on business, said Beynon. Tensions between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan have also impacted operations, especially in western Canada. It is not clear how these tensions will further play out in the future, he said.
“Everybody in this room should be right pissed off at the federal government’s airport capital assistance program,” he said. “They only invest $38 million a year into small airports for the entire country, which is about one-third of what is required. And if you come from a community without scheduled passenger service, you don’t even qualify.
That said, Frank noted larger airports are not immune, and added it’s amazing the aviation industry made it through COVID.