Keep airports publicly owned
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to prohibit privatization or sale of Canadian airports and keep them publicly accountable to protect affordability, accessibility, labour standards, safety and regional connectivity.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps control of vital infrastructure in public hands, helping ensure fees and access remain focused on community needs rather than profit.
- Preserves labour standards and staffing priorities that support aviation safety and service reliability.
- Maintains public oversight to prioritize long-term regional connectivity and emergency-response capacity over short-term financial returns.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Blocking all privatization may restrict access to private capital that could fund infrastructure upgrades without raising public debt.
- Public operators can be less efficient than private firms, potentially raising costs or slowing improvements.
- A complete ban removes flexibility for well-designed public–private partnerships that include public accountability safeguards.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Canada’s airports are critical national infrastructure supporting economic stability, national security, emergency response, tourism, trade, regional connectivity, and the movement of millions of Canadians and visitors each year; Canada’s airports were developed through public investment and are intended to operate in the public interest for the benefit of travellers, workers, communities, and future generations; The privatization or sale of airport infrastructure risks transferring control of essential public assets to private investors whose primary obligation is maximizing profits and shareholder returns; International examples of airport privatization have demonstrated risks including increased fees, higher airline operating costs, more expensive air travel, reduced public accountability, and pressure on labour standards and staffing levels; and Aviation workers play an essential role in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of Canada’s transportation system. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reject any proposal to privatize, sell, or transfer ownership or control of Canadian airports to private, for-profit interests, and to maintain airports as publicly accountable infrastructure operated in the public interest while protecting affordability, accessibility, labour standards, safety, regional connectivity, public oversight of critical infrastructure, and ensuring Canada’s airports continue to operate for the long-term public good rather than short-term private financial gain.
Government response
No government response is available yet.