Region of Waterloo International Airport - YKF

[danbrotherston]

You're referring to the airline business model. That's different from the public policy. From a public policy perspective, we continue to spend vast sums of money on an airport in the hopes that airlines will stick around. This airline has different business model, but it is the same public policy we are implementing. I am frankly sick and tired of seeing my tax dollars sunk into this.

If you're uninterested in having a local airport that's a reasonable position to take. But I think it's a serious misrepresentation to suggest it's the same public policy. After seeing the failure of the previous attempts, the region set out specifically to attract a ULCC. That's why they did the route exclusivity guarantees, after seeing what happened with Swoop at YHM. The region has significantly adjusted its approach, to attract a different kind of airline that would be more likely to be successful, and that is a public policy change.

I wouldn't say I am uninterested in having a local airport. I am uninterested in spending 40+ million dollars of our funds on it. I think we have much higher priorities. If an airport can be self-sufficient, I have no problem with it.

I guess that could be the case, but do you have concrete examples of how they changed their approach. Route exclusivity seems meaningless when we can't really attract one airline let alone competing interests. AFAIK all our previous routes have been exclusive. But if we are offering this kind of non-monetary incentive, that further strengthens the argument that we are overspending on this private for profit sector. IMO.