The Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) has issued an objection to plans from the Montreal Airport Authority that will prioritize commercial passenger flights over general and business aviation at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (CYUL) due to construction projects that will last through September.
The development consists of the extension of Taxiway Bravo, which will last through June 9, and the planned closures of Taxiways B4 and B6 from June 18 to September 22.
Plans from the authority call for the prioritization of airline slots during the peak hours of 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and beyond.
CBAA argues that CYUL is owned by Transport Canada and leased to the airport authority. As such, it is beholden to federal obligations under the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines, which govern airport coordination globally and call for voluntary, mutually-agreed-upon schedule adjustments, rather than unilateral slot allocation. It noted that stakeholders such as CBAA should be consulted to ensure decisions are reflective of community and industry needs, with equitable access for all aviation sectors.
The group noted that business aviation directly supports more than 13,000 jobs in Quebec, with $7.43 billion in direct economic output. It requested immediate negotiations with a facilitator to ensure its members are not disproportionately impacted, along with a transparent demand and capacity analysis to justify the restrictions and explore possible infrastructure solutions.