COPA regularly commissions studies that examine the economic impact of General Aviation in Canada and the critical role small airports play in local communities. These reports provide data and insights on jobs supported, business activity generated, and the value GA brings to the national transportation network.
This Primer (updated and expanded from a similar article published in 2018) is intended to assist the reader in understanding what is meant by the exclusive federal jurisdiction over aeronautics, its extent and limits, and review cases where provincial/municipal officials have (or have not) been found to have encroached in terms of impermissibly attempting to regulate aeronautical activities.
This report was commissioned by COPA to offer its members tools to share with elected officials and decision-makers across Canada. This study has been developed to serve as a comprehensive body of information on the economic and social impacts of community airports, their challenges, and to provide case studies of real-world success with best practices that can be adopted by other airport operators.
