Under the National Airports Policy in the mid-1990s, Ottawa transferred management of 26 major airports to local not-for-profit airport authorities. And they note that airports pay rent to Ottawa — some $5 billion since 1992 and at least another $12 billion more over the next 40 years, according to Emerson’s report. Pearson — Canada’s busiest airport with 41 million passengers a year — would rank as a plum catch for private investors. Asset recycling is the process of giving the private sector a stake in existing infrastructure assets, such as ports or highways, to raise the cash needed for other investments. Airport operators say if concerns about the cost of air travel are driving the change, they are not to blame.

Source: thestar July 03, 2016 21:16 UTC