Overview

• Alexis von Hoensbroech told Calgary business leaders that treating air travel as a luxury undermines national unity and that government support should mirror passenger rail and ferry funding
• He calculated that federal sales tax, navigation fees, airport improvement fees and security levies add $133 to a round-trip ticket in Canada compared with $49 in the U.S.
• WestJet was informed this week that security fees will rise by 33 percent, a hike von Hoensbroech labelled an Ottawa revenue grab
• The airline has experienced mid-to-high-teens percentage declines in U.S. bookings year over year as travellers pivot to European and Caribbean routes
• Von Hoensbroech cited a World Economic Forum study ranking Canada 101st in air travel affordability and criticised Ottawa’s $60 billion Toronto-Quebec City high-speed rail plan as misaligned priorities