The Ottawa International Airport Authority is very disappointed in the outcome of today’s vote at Ottawa City Council, which defeated the Airport Community Improvement Plan (CIP) application by Germain Hotels in support of a terminal-connected Alt Hotel.
The Authority and Germain Hotels signed the initial lease agreement pre-pandemic that did not contemplate an Airport CIP, as one did not exist at that time. Certainly, business conditions have changed; however, the lease is still in place for a few more weeks should Germain decide to pursue this business opportunity in the context of today’s financial realities – and it is their decision. That said, the Authority will assist as much as possible, provided it remains in our mutual best interest.
We often hear from our community and City officials about new routes and the importance of robust air access to the Region. In today’s world, acquiring new routes to new destinations often requires airline financial incentives. Other airports in Canada benefit from direct government support to attract new air service, while YOW has no comparable. In the absence of air service incentive funding, the Airport CIP was created as the only City tool available to not only help YOW recover, but to enhance its role as a significant economic generator for our community. Germain’s application met 100% of the CIP’s criteria that the previous Council approved. The new Council decided against proceeding with the application, which is well within its rights as defined in the By-law. This therefore leaves YOW with no financial tools provided by the City to support acquiring new routes to new destinations.
The Authority would like to thank the Mayor and Councillors for the time they took to reflect on Germain’s CIP application. We also wish to thank City staff who worked diligently to create this economic development tool at the request of the previous Council. We appreciate the steadfast support from Ottawa Tourism, the Ottawa Board of Trade, and the many community advocates who spoke up on behalf of Germain’s application and in support of YOW’s goal of becoming a hub with the amenities travellers appreciate and expect. We will not abandon this vision; however, the path will be limited to using the current toolbox without the financial assistance of the Airport CIP. We would also like to thank Germain Hotels for their time and effort in putting forward an excellent application and, despite the setback, hope that there is a way forward that will benefit all parties.