We estimate that the fees charged to passengers represent about 40% of the ticket price. These include property taxes, housing costs and airport fees, among other things. There are a lot of fees, and the federal government will collect between $50 million and $70 million in fees from Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, all of which will obviously have been passed on to clients.
Is it right for people flying from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to Montreal to have to pay for such expansive infrastructure when, for them, it's the reference point for landing in Canada's big city? They also pay service fees. The same is true of the tourism industry, where fees are passed on to producers. In the meantime, the U.S. government invests millions of dollars in infrastructure, while users have to pay for it in Canada. Is that an option that we can explore as a way of significantly lowering the cost?
Personally, I really like your fourth proposal. You say we need to think about the fact that we aren't maximizing our industry, that we aren't maximizing flights. On the contrary, all the signals are that people aren't flying. In real terms, how can we change this trend and lower fees?