Pilot pushing for portion of plane fuel taxes to help struggling airports

Pilot pushing for portion of plane fuel taxes to help struggling airports

Ed Das has been flying planes since he was a teenager. He has set up shop at Stratford's airport for the past 20 years, and has seen the debate over his airport and many municipally owned airports viability and potential sale bubble up again and again.

"Stratford, being a perfect example. Currently, they run a $73,000 deficit - that's funded by the city. And at the same time, the airport gets $0 from the provincial government, in support of it," said Das.

Das, along with the Airport Management Council of Ontario wants to change that. They're proposing that municipal airports in Ontario get at least a portion of their provincial plane fuel taxes back.

Stratford pilot, Ed Das wants a portion of Ontario pilot's provincial tax on plane fuel to be returned to Ontario municipally run airports, to help keep them viable, September 3, 2024 (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

"$58.5 million raised by 219 airports across the province, 2005. And none of those funds have a formal mechanism to go back to those airports to support them financially," said Das.

Several municipally owned airports in Ontario have either closed or been sold to private interests in the past four or five years. Namely, places like Wingham, Owen Sound and Collingwood. Das isn't eager to see Stratford join that list – but it might, unless the Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program, takes off.

"The province uses the airport here. ORNGE air ambulances, for example, land here in Stratford almost on a weekly basis. It's a provincial service. The province should be putting those monies back into the airports and ensure their continued, operation into the future," he said.

Das and the Airport Management Council hope that between $8.5 and $10 million can be carved out of the pilots provincial fuel taxes, and directed back to the small town airports, that connect them all.

"I've seen lots of commercial traffic come into the field, with businesspeople that do not insignificant deals in the local towns. So, they do bring value, it's just hard to put a dollar figure on," said Das.