In early 2022, COPA retained HM Aero to prepare the Canadian Community Airports Profile – a document intended to serve as an educational resource for community airport owners, operators, and advocates that will start meaningful conversations about these facilities and provide contextual information of value to these discussions.

HM Aero conducted a comprehensive review and identified an estimated 625 facilities classified as community airports. In preparing the Profile, HM Aero provided:

• A primer on community airports, including their governmental and regulatory context; ownership, governance, and funding; and infrastructure and operations;

• A profile of their economic impacts, including quantitative multiplier-based economic impact assessments for 32 community airports;

• An overview and detailed commentary of the social benefits of these facilities, such as air ambulance flights, law enforcement, and education;

• Discussion on the five most significant challenges faced by community airports, including infrastructure renewal costs, revenue generation and financial sustainability, climate change resiliency, increased regulatory requirements, and land use compatibility; and

• Case studies of nine successful community airports, with best practices that can be used by other airport owners and operators.