by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Mon November 2, 2026
A rally at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) this weekend demonstrated the widespread dissatisfaction with the planned privatization of that airport, along with Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) and Calgary International (YYC).
The federal government’s plan to privatize Canada’s four biggest airports has been met with resistance on many fronts. Airlines have warned against increased airport fees that could result if private investors demand increased profits, and labour groups have cautioned that profit-driven privatization of services “always comes with a cost” which can include less service, poorer working conditions or staffing cuts.
One of the biggest concerns about the plan is that there has been very few details released about how private investment will be integrated, where it will come from, the timeline for privatization and what it will mean for airlines, airport employees and travellers.
When the plan was announced at the Canada Investment Summit in September, Prime Minister Carney shied away from calling it privatization, instead indicating that the Government of Canada would “retain ownership of the underlying land and assets” while opening the airports to private and foreign investments.
At the rally in Vancouver, Barry Tchir, the national president of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, questioned the need for change. “This system works,” he said. “The not-for-profit model that they use is a successful model. YVR wins awards for the stuff that they do and the way they manage this airport. So why are we risking changing that into a private investor model where they’re looking at 15-to-20-per-cent returns on investment?”
Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada agreed, saying “We all know that private investors have a bottom line for profits…Public services should not be used for profit.”
Organizers stated the aim of the rally was to push the government for more details on the plan.
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