Overview

• The Competition Bureau recommends lifting all foreign ownership caps and creating a new class of domestic-only airlines that could be entirely foreign-owned.
• The study finds Air Canada and WestJet account for between 56% and 78% of domestic passenger traffic at major airports, a level the bureau labels “extremely high.”
• Officials propose stripping the transport minister of override powers in airline merger reviews so that deals must clear antitrust scrutiny before proceeding.
• Bureau analysis shows that adding a single new competitor on a route can reduce airfares by about 9%, underscoring potential cost savings for travellers.
• Air Canada has questioned the bureau’s market concentration data and, along with regional airport authorities, warned that foreign carriers may overlook low-traffic routes serving remote communities.