Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
I am Philippe Noël, vice-president for Public and Economic Affairs at the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, the FCCQ. With me today is my colleague Laurent Corbeil, who is our adviser, public and economic affairs, and is responsible for transport and logistics-related issues.
Through its 120 chambers of commerce and more than 1,000 members, the FCCQ represents more than 45,000 businesses operating in all sectors of the economy across Quebec.
We are the largest network of business and business people in Quebec. We are also both a federation of chambers of commerce and the chamber of commerce of Quebec. Our organization is also a member of the Quebec Ministry of Transport's action group to restore regional air services.
The FCCQ believes that all the orders of government have a responsibility with respect to land use. To exercise that responsibility, it is essential that they make the regions as accessible as possible. Air transportation is in many instances the most efficient option for transporting people, particularly in Quebec as a result of its immense size.
The FCCQ feels that access to regional air transportation is essential in enhancing the vitality of our regions and promoting their economic development. That access connects them to global destinations through international airports such as those in Montreal and Quebec City.
We believe that governments would do well to adjust their vision of regional air links and regional airports by viewing them more as economic development tools than as costs.
In a context in which regional air transportation is a major concern, particularly in Quebec's regions, the FCCQ wishes to urge governments to modernize regional airports, which would thus promote access to our regions and foster the development of promising and wealth-generating projects for all Quebeckers. It is essential that we adapt and innovate so we can face increasingly stiff global competition, and these investments are necessary.
Airport infrastructure is essential to economic development in remote regions. It is also important, even essential, infrastructure in certain communities for both passenger transportation and the transport of goods by air cargo. Which is why it is important for businesses and communities to have access to frequent commercial air links for both delivering goods and transporting business people. These links are also an essential form of infrastructure for certain public services such as forest fire fighting and emergency health care transportation, not to mention the development of projects in resource regions requiring air shuttle service for mining operations, for example.
Many local and regional airports need to be modernized and developed. It should be borne in mind that regional airport authorities don't have the financial leeway to improve their services. Some chambers of commerce have suggested that government infrastructure investments should be at least equal to those made by intermunicipal airport management boards, which is not the case. Other infrastructure needs require even more funding, both to maintain runways and to improve air terminals, among other things.
The current capacity of some infrastructure actually creates occasional and seasonal limits on air service in certain regions. Runways and equipment may need repair, runways may need to be extended, and so on. These improvements could be an incentive to extend air links and thus foster the idea of a competitive market. In other cases, airport infrastructure modernization is nothing more or less than a sensitive issue in generating economic impacts in a specific region and in being able to provide citizens with emergency services.
That's the case of the Magdalene Islands airport, in particular. Since its runway is too short, cargo aircraft can't land there, which prevents Magdalen Island lobster from being exported by air. The same is true of the new emergency transport aircraft, which require a longer runway than is currently available. What's more, given the increasingly extreme weather conditions, extending the landing strip would help lower the number of cancelled flights. We have tried to make the federal government aware of this basic expectation for Magdalen Islanders, but in vain.
Businesses must be able to share their expertise and establish contacts. The obligation to spend several nights outside forces certain individuals to use another mode of transport than regional air services, which causes a loss of productivity and prevents businesses from expanding and growing when developing their markets.
Thank you for your attention and for taking our comments into consideration.
We will now be pleased to answer your questions.