Airports Capital Assistance Program

• Completed application form for the relevant project type
• Supporting documents required by the selected form

Who is eligible?

• Owners of eligible airports
• Operators of eligible airports
• Owners or operators of registered aerodromes close to certification
• Local and regional airports

Who is not eligible

• Airports owned or operated by the Government of Canada
• Airports serving more than 525,000 passengers per year
• Airports with commercial passenger service that is not year-round and regularly scheduled

Eligible expenses

• Airside rehabilitation costs for runways, taxiways, aprons, lighting, visual aids, and sand storage sheds.
• Purchase costs for aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks, related equipment, and equipment shelters.
• Purchase costs for heavy mobile equipment such as snow blowers, snow plows, sweepers, spreaders, winter friction testing devices, and mobile equipment shelters.
• Air terminal safety rehabilitation costs such as sprinkler system improvements, asbestos removal, and barrier-free access work.
• Eligible taxes and shipping for mobile equipment.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Buying land
• Feasibility, planning or zoning studies
• Capital infrastructure projects that are not safety-related
• Facility expansion projects, unless current facilities can be shown to create a safety risk
• Projects that have already started or been completed, and optional equipment or accessories above the maximum allowed amount for mobile equipment

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada

• The project must be needed to meet the required level of safety.
• Applications are considered according to project priority, with airside rehabilitation and aircraft rescue and firefighting projects ranked first, heavy mobile equipment second, and air terminal safety projects third.
• Funding levels are determined by the airport’s average number of regularly scheduled commercial passengers over the last 3 calendar years, based on Statistics Canada data.
• For secondary runway projects, eligibility may be reviewed based on factors such as wind rose analysis over 25 years, seasonal usability of the main runway, and frequency of use of the secondary runway.

• Step 1: Select the project form
  • Choose the application form that matches your project type and priority.
  • Available forms cover airside rehabilitation, aircraft rescue and firefighting, mobile equipment, and air terminal rehabilitation.
• Step 2: Complete the application
  • Fill out the selected application form.
  • Attach the supporting documents required for your submission.
• Step 3: Submit the application
  • Send the completed form and supporting documents by email or by mail to Transport Canada.
• Step 4: Respect the deadline
  • Submit no later than June 1 to be considered for funding in the next program year.
  • Applications received after June 1 are considered for the following program year.

• Transport Canada updates applicants on application status by email.
• The application may be reviewed for technical completeness, and additional information may be requested.
• Transport Canada may request the airport’s financial reports for the last 3 calendar years.
• If approved, the applicant receives a contribution agreement setting out the scope, maximum funding, and conditions.
• Some projects may undergo environmental and Indigenous or treaty rights reviews, and further information may be requested if needed.

• The program has been in place since 1995.
• Since launch, the Government of Canada has invested over $1.25 billion in 1,239 projects at 201 airports.
• The program supports local, regional and smaller National Airports System airports across Canada.
• It is intended to help airports maintain safety, protect assets and reduce operating costs.