Mr. Speaker, in 2002 national airports paid $240 million in rent to the Government of Canada. In 2003 this rent is expected to increase by $20 million. In 2010 the government will collect a total of $4 billion in rent from airport authorities. This amount will be more than twice the book value of the assets that were initially transferred.
Federal rent demands will grow to $500 million if this system remains unchanged. These fees are the single greatest cost facing small airports and are a major concern to the aviation industry. There is a huge concern that small airports will not survive if the government's fee structure remains unchanged.
Will the government make the necessary changes to ensure that all the airports remain viable?