Act now or risk losing, says Deborah Flint

Deborah Flint, President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), has urged Canada to invest in airports and open up the possibility of alternative funding options for smart, innovative, and sustainable infrastructure, and to avoid the risk of losing a key ingredient to the nation’s success and competitive advantage – reliable, frequent access to the world.   

Flint spoke to more than 1,100 attendees on the topic of ‘Canada’s Future Infrastructure Needs’ at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s annual Canada 360˚ Economic Summit. She was joined by other Canadian infrastructure leaders as they discussed the actions needed to find better ways of connecting Canadians by moving goods and people.

“Over the last two years, air cargo has been, and continues to be, a lifeline for society, delivering essential goods to help fight the pandemic and meet the supply chain requirements of businesses and Canadian consumers,” added Flint. “Aviation is poised to play a larger role in addressing the challenges being felt by Canadian businesses and pocketbooks, but to do so, governments must be partners in rebuilding air capacity and modernising the system, including with digital infrastructure and data.”

The GTAA believes it’s important to make investments in the future of air connectivity now, as many other G7 nations have, to avoid weakening air access for Canada and hampering economic growth.

The GTAA is focused on rebuilding an air travel experience by creating the airport of the future – one that is healthier, more innovative, greener, and more effective. This is critical for Canada’s future economic growth and global competitiveness. Infrastructure investments must support the greening of the industry as the GTAA has committed to a goal of net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this, initiatives must include net zero GHG new construction, improving the energy efficiency of existing assets and leveraging renewable energy sources such as solar PV, solar thermal and geothermal. In addition, the GTAA is supportive of the move towards Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) by our airline partners and in late 2021 was a signatory to the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative, which commits the aviation industry to using 10 per cent SAF by 2030.