Carney government will allow private ownership of Canadian airports - Toronto Star

The federal government will allow private ownership of four major airports — including Toronto's Pearson, Canada's busiest — in a move that breaks with a decades-long arrangement that saw them run by non-profits on government-owned land. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney takes part in a news conference during the Canada EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium on June 23, 2025.

OTTAWA — The federal government will allow private ownership of four major airports — including Toronto’s Pearson, Canada’s busiest — in a move that breaks with a decades-long arrangement that saw them run by non-profits on government-owned land. 

Despite many objections from unionized labour and pposition critics, Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement Tuesday morning at his two-day investment summit in Toronto.

He welcomed “private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada’s four largest airports” in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal.

“Following best practice in other countries, the Government of Canada will retain ownership of the underlying land and assets, but we will unlock their true value, by bringing in new capital and expertise into their operations and growth.

“We will reinvest the tens of billions of dollars of capital we raise into the infrastructure that Canada needs for the next generation,” Carney said in prepared remarks.

He promised that will mean investing in regional airports and “providing better and more affordable regional and remote air connections. It will mean a better passenger experience. It will mean investing in new local transportation infrastructure to make commutes easier and faster for everyday Canadians.”

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Alex Ballingall is the Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief for the Star. Reach him via email: aballingall@thestar.ca

Tonda MacCharles is Ottawa Bureau Chief and a senior reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc.