News
Hamilton councillor seeks review of airport lease
Aug. 30, 2013, Hamilton, Ont. - Hamilton councillor Chad Collins is seeking a review of the city's lease with the company that operates the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport due to disappointing revenue and a decrease in the number of passenger flights.
August 30, 2013 By Canadian Airports Council
The 40-year lease was signed in 1996 and is up for review for the first time in 2016. Collins would like subcommittee established to examine the current lease and clearly define who is responsible for the airport from a financial and regulatory standpoint – the City of Hamilton or TradePort.
"I've been very critical of the lease we have now, and it was certainly celebrated as being a big win for the city for benefits," Collins told the city's general issues committee on August 12th. "I think a lot of issues have been exposed publicly over the last 10 years."
In an interview with CBC News Hamilton, Collins noted that the biggest outstanding issue was the extension of the airport's shortest runway.
An upgrade was supposed to happen within the first 20 years of TradePort's lease, which is nearing that point in its agreement. According to Collins, however, the city has yet to be presented a plan or design to indicate that investment is on the horizon.
The subcommittee could set timelines for those improvements and consult with Hamiltonians on what they want to see from the airport, according to Collins.
