Thank you, Madame Chair, and members of the committee, for this opportunity.
Joyce Carter, president and CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority, sends her regrets and asked that I appear on her behalf.
The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is the largest passenger and cargo airport in Atlantic Canada, and the most eastern airport in Canada with a continental link to North America. We punch well above our weight by processing over 3.6 million passengers in a 1.2 million finite catchment area.
Air policy liberalization is fundamental to future growth and the success of the global markets action plan. As a member of the Canadian Airports Council, we support their recent comprehensive submission regarding the CTA review process. An overall theme throughout the CAC submission that HIAA, which is Halifax International Airport Authority, is especially focused on is the ability for the policy and process changes to occur in an aligned, timely, and proactive manner.
Airports are major economic generators for their regions. Based on a 2013 economic impact study, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport contributed $1.29 billion to the Nova Scotia economy and provided 13,000 plus full-time equivalent jobs, with wages and salaries in excess of $544 million. Policy and process decisions that limit or adversely affect growth in travel, trade, and tourism will impact not only individual airports but also the regional economies, and ultimately the national economy.
The CAC submission presents a clear vision for Canadian airports in 2040. HIAA believes that there are elements of this vision that can be realized sooner rather than later.
Global connectivity can be enhanced by expanding the current CAN+, transit without visa, China transit, and transfer departure facility programs. Oftentimes, these programs are mired in lengthy pilot projects at larger Canadian airports, which results in other airports lagging behind. More proactive countries have enhanced their overall air access thus capturing the lucrative tourist and business air travellers and providing more opportunities for trade and economic development to benefit their regions and citizens.
ln addition, further liberalization of air service policy will enhance Canada's global position as an economic leader with expanded business and tourism market opportunities and increased consumer choice.
The Canadian government needs to keep moving ahead with the blue sky policy and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement. Doing so will help ensure that foreign carriers have the ability to add direct service or transit through Canadian airports, which will provide more seats to and from all regions of Canada, and additional cargo capacity, thus providing consumers with choice while also benefiting multiple sectors of the Canadian economy, including tourism, business to business, and trade and export opportunities. This, in turn, helps sustain the viability of medium and small Canadian airports as it opens new service and/or transit opportunities, while also solidifying their position as strong links from regional communities to larger Canadian hub airports.
Halifax and Atlantic Canada are benefiting from free trade and blue sky-type air transport agreements. A case in point is that Korean Airlines now flies a weekly dedicated freighter through Halifax providing upwards of 100 tonnes of lift for live lobster to South Korea, and beyond to China. lt is important to note that the demand for Atlantic Canadian lobster in China has resulted in a 420% increase over the last five years.
The comprehensive economic and trade agreement, CETA, also positions Cargojet, the only all-Canadian dedicated cargo operator, alongside Air Canada and WestJet, as they expand their wide-body passenger operations to grow Canadian exports of high value and perishable goods to European consumers, and beyond to other markets.
Respecting time, I will close by pointing out that multiple sectors benefit by growing non-stop passenger and cargo air access to communities in all regions of this great country; sectors like tourism, trade, agriculture, fisheries, and immigration.
Canadian carriers have demonstrated and proven that they can compete, and have benefited by doing so internationally. The Canadian public and business will also benefit from increased consumer choice by having access to new markets and lower price points. ln closing, HIAA is a dedicated partner working closely with airlines, government, tourism associations, business associations, and the community at the regional and national levels to enhance air gateway activity in Canada and to broaden our global markets.
Madame Chair and members of the committee, thank you again for this opportunity.