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ARTICLE · 05 MAY 2026

Spring Update: Preparing The Runway For Private Capital

McCarthy Tétrault
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Transport Canada’s March 2025 policy statement (the Policy Statement) outlined a range of pathways for private capital participation within the existing airport authority mode...

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
McCarthy Tétrault MOVES
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Jody E. Aldcorn
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Last year, we noted that the federal government had once again put airport privatisation back on the policy map. The Spring Economic Update 2026 takes that conversation a step further.

Moving beyond the runway

Transport Canada’s March 2025 policy statement (the Policy Statement) outlined a range of pathways for private capital participation within the existing airport authority model, including lease extensions, joint ventures, limited partnerships, subleases and airport‑authority subsidiaries.

Against that backdrop, Budget 2025 moved the discussion further into the policy mainstream by stating that the government would look at ways to “unlock more of the economic potential of Canada's airports and consider new ways to attract private sector investment” including throughnegotiating lease extensions with airport authorities; enabling more economic development on airport lands; and examining existing ground lease rent formulas.The Budget further indicated that it would “consider

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