Montreal-Trudeau airport: in 10 years, it will be worse

I laughed well when I saw this investment project of a new $ 10 billion in Montreal-Trudeau airport in order, we are told, to “unlock” it.

I have been taking the plane regularly since I was 16 years old. Furthermore, and in memory, I do not remember that it was a pleasant experience. Therefore, I do not remember that it was something else than in construction.

Thirty years later, the number of passengers and income increased well, but none of the historical problems has been resolved.

More people. Moreover, More means. Meanwhile, Worse experience.

Béton inc.

In recent years. Furthermore. However, the hundreds of millions invested in doing and re -eating and referencing the interchanges around the airport have montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it new not been right for the monster traffic jams in the access roads that lead to the terminal.

Some passengers descend from their montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it taxi and walk the last kilometer on foot.

Montreal. modern city

The engorgement is such as returning from a trip recently. in a 777 from Europe, the 350 passengers had to go on foot, then by bus. It is, I am told, more and more frequent.

We have the feeling. when we think of Yul, of a regional aerodrome which would be the victim of its popularity.

Permanently.

The leaders, very badly taken, imagine that to sink concrete is the solution to everything. Generation after generation, we have flowed, concrete, in Dorval.

Thus, the “big release” announced these days is a promise: for another 10 years, it will be the brothel. Afterwards, we’ll see.

I give you a little bet: in 10 years, montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it new it will be worse.

A governance problem

What Montreal-Trudeau experiences is the consequence of a political choice dating. from the 1990s where the federal government has transferred airport responsibility to OBNL while also transferring the land.

He has thus become a gourmet landlord who sets off operators.

By choosing to make them OBNLs, he also deprived these organizations of the main vector of modern economic development: capital! Thus. in the absence of investors. it is still necessary to beg for public banks such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank (BIC) of new advantageous rate loans.

This is, to say otherwise, a governance problem.

The milk cow

montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it new

By doing so, the federal government has made its choice. Rather than making Canadian airports of economic development and attractiveness vehicles, it has made them vulgar milk cows.

And therefore required them montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it to the dry diet.

The problem is therefore not yesterday.

The inability of Montreal-Trudeau airport to decide on its own destiny. to lift its own funding will be an obstacle to its greatness.

As long as we do not take this front issue.. we continue to drop our airports with billions without radically transforming its operation, we will repair the cracks with gum.

The late Michel Nadeau liked to recall this contradiction: an organization dedicated to economic development which does not have. the means to raise capital. whose administrators are called between them and whose contribution to the national economy is only a secondary objective is doomiocrity.

With the highest airport prices in montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it new the country. an aging terminal. infrastructure constantly renovating for decades, it is not surprising that Montreal ranks among the worst airports in North America, according to the JD Power survey.

No amount of concrete will montreal-trudeau airport: 10 years, it be able to change this.