Flying To & From Some Canadian Airports Is Going To Cost More With New Fee Increases

Expect to pay more for flights once you're travelling again. Airport Improvement Fees are being raised at some locations in Canada. Others may start to follow suit, as well.

According to a report from the National Post, the Ottawa airport will be raising its AIF from $23 to $28 starting on October 1.

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On their website, the Ottawa Airport Authority acknowledges the fees, saying "The $23 fee for each enplaned passenger, which is collected on the Authority’s behalf by the airlines, is used to pay for major infrastructure projects."

A June 26 news release from the Authority outlines the necessity for this increase in 2020.

"Given the erosion in cash flows and financial position, and the need to position the Authority to maintain the ability to invest appropriately in its capital infrastructure as well as provide access to the debt market, the Authority is proposing to increase the AIF in 2020," it reads.

The Winnipeg Airport will be going even farther with their increases, hiking their improvement fees up to $38 from $25 starting on September 1.

A July 28 news release indicated that fewer than 56,000 travellers had gone through the Winnipeg Airport in the previous quarter, compared to 1.1 million in the same quarter last year.

"We don't want to have to charge additional fees," Tyler MacAfee, Vice President, Communications and Government Relations for the Winnipeg Airports Authority told CBC News.

"That's not the desire in this, but we have to find a way to make sure that we remain sustainable."

Like the Ottawa Airport Authority, MacAfee also noted that the fees do not pay for operating costs, but rather go toward infrastructure.

Daniel-Robert Gooch, president of the Canadian Airports Council, told the National Post that he expects other airports will likely raise their fees as well in order to keep up with these necessary upgrades.

The ongoing pandemic has had a major effect on the airline industry.

Air Canada recently reported that it had lost nearly 90% of its revenue.