ESG: Governance
YOW is an economic driver in Ottawa-Gatineau. This team ensures that we keep pace with demand while maintaining high service standards representative of Canada's Capital.
Board of Directors
The adoption of the National Airports Policy in 1994 resulted in the creation of local airport authorities across the country. These authorities were created with community-nominated Boards of Directors who were tasked with overseeing the management of their local facility.
The Authority’s Board follows these guidelines, which are included in the Authority’s by-laws:
- Includes professional representation nominated by all three levels of government as well as community and business organizations;
- Directors shall not be elected officials or government employees; each Director has a fiduciary duty to the Authority;
- Each Director has a fiduciary duty to the Authority;
- Meets 8 to 10 times during the year;
- Views its principal responsibility as overseeing the conduct of the business and supervising management to ensure that long-term goals and strategies are met; and
- Must meet Conflict of Interest rules, adhere to the Authority’s Code of Conduct and the Public Accountability Principles for Canadian Airport Authorities.
Each Director annually files a Conflict of Interest declaration, as required by the Authority’s by-laws. To the Authority’s knowledge, all Directors are in compliance with the conflict of interest and Code of Conduct guidelines noted above.
By-laws
The Authority established by-laws at incorporation in 1995, which have been amended several times over the years. Selecting bodies nominate 10 individuals to the 14-member Board:
| Minister of Transport (Government of Canada) | 2 |
| Government of Ontario | 1 |
| City of Ottawa | 2 |
| City of Gatineau | 1 |
| Ottawa Board of Trade | 1 |
| Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority | 1 |
| Chambre de commerce de Gatineau | 1 |
| Invest Ottawa | 1 |
| Other | 4 |
A Director’s term of office is a maximum of three years. Each Director may be re-elected for additional terms, but may not serve as a Director for more than nine years. The qualifications required of a Director are included in the by-laws. Collectively, the Directors shall have experience in the fields of law, engineering, accounting, business management, and aviation industry management. In addition, the by-laws include restrictions to eliminate possible conflicts of interest arising from relationships with selecting bodies, thereby ensuring the independence of Directors and reinforcing their fiduciary responsibilities to the Authority. The Governance Committee has the power to ensure that the selecting bodies provide candidates for nomination to the Board having the skills and expertise necessary for the Board as a whole to carry out its duties.
Committees of the Board
Airport Authority
Accountability
The Authority’s policy is to be accountable to the community and to be transparent in relations with its business partners and customers. The Authority’s mandate, as set out in its Articles of Continuance, establishes a standard against which its performance can be measured.
The mandate of the Authority is:
- to manage, operate and develop the Ottawa International Airport, the premises of which will be leased to the Authority by Transport Canada, and any other airport in Canada’s Capital Region for which the Authority becomes responsible, in a safe, secure, efficient, cost-effective, and financially viable manner with reasonable airport user charges and equitable access to all carriers;
- to undertake and promote the development of airport lands, for which it is responsible, for uses that are compatible with air transportation activities; and
- to expand transportation facilities and generate economic activity in ways that are compatible with air transportation activities.
In executing its objects, the Authority shall confer regularly with governments and community entities on matters affecting the operation and development of the airports for which it is responsible and shall engage only in those activities that are consistent with its objects.
The Authority accounts for its actions to the community in a number of ways:
- by publishing an Annual Report;
- by hosting an Annual Public Meeting;
- by hosting an annual meeting with selecting bodies;
- by establishing and/or reporting to the following consultation committees:
- Airport Noise Committee;
- Airline Consultative Committee;
- Airport Operators Committee;
- Community Consultative Committee;
- Airside Safety Committee;
- through meetings and/or consultations with local city officials;
- through extensive public consultations on the periodic renewal of the Airport Master Plan, which was updated in 1998, 2008 and 2018, and the Land Use Plan, which was last updated and approved by the Minister of Transport in 2022; and
- by maintaining a corporate website at www.yow.ca.
In addition, a performance review must be conducted at least once every five years, in keeping with the Authority’s Ground Lease with Transport Canada. This performance review was last completed in February 2023.
Transparency
The Airport Authority Leadership team
The CEO, the Board of Directors and Vice-Presidents of the Airport Authority make up the Leadership team at YOW.
This dedicated team has a wealth of combined experience in almost every industry and we are lucky to have them looking out for the future of the Ottawa Airport.
