Air Canada CE says airport fees, other restrictions hinder ability to compete

Onerous restrictions and costs are hindering Air Canada’s ability to expand and compete internationally, the airline’s CE said Wednesday. Calin Rovinescu said Canada’s airport fees are too high and legacy legislation from when the company was govt-owned means it’s operating at a disadvantage. “We need to have the same ability to compete, the same level playing field that everyone else has,” said Rovinescu. He said he hoped Bill C-10 will come into force soon so the company will have fewer restrictions on where it conducts airline maintenance. The legislation would lift requirements on the number of maintenance employees in Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario and how much work is done in those provinces. The labour restrictions were part of the privatisation measures of Air Canada 28 years ago. <br/>