August 19, 2025

The Brief: Is Flying Canada's Ticket to Affordable Transportation?

26 minutes

As the world's second-largest country by landmass, but ranked 188th in population density, Canada depends on air travel as a crucial part of its transportation infrastructure. BCA's economists recently unpacked the issue of why flying costs more in Canada than elsewhere in their latest commentary, so podcast host Scott Crockatt invited former WestJet executive and airline industry expert Richard Bartrem onto the podcast to dive into the findings and hear some of Richard's own insights.

Richard argues that while airline fares have fallen in half, government fees have increased more, and advocates for government intervention to reduce these costs, citing examples like land rent charged to airports by the federal government.

He also highlights the disparity between Canada's approach and other countries that view aviation as an economic driver. The podcast wraps-up with a reflection on the advantages that would come with cheaper and more comprehensive air travel in Canada, including the boost of tourism dollars and the 'GDP multiplier' from a vast and efficient air freight network.

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The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta's largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

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