18.61°C Vancouver

Jun 19, 2025 2:17 PM - The Canadian Press

Watchdog recommends up to 100% foreign airline ownership amid low competition

Share On
watchdog-recommends-up-to-100-foreign-airline-ownership-amid-low-competition
Air Canada and WestJet together account for between half and three-quarters of all domestic passengers at major airports, according to the study.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Canada should allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of domestic-only airlines, the Competition Bureau says in a new report highlighting the country's "highly concentrated" aviation industry.

In a market study released Thursday, the watchdog suggested creating a new class of airline that operates only in Canada but could have owners from outside its borders, opening the gate to global expertise — and cash.

The current foreign ownership cap sits 49 per cent. In addition, no more than 25 per cent of a carrier can be owned by any one foreign entity, a proportion the Competition Bureau proposed raising to nearly half.

"Allowing more foreign investment in Canadian airlines improves access to capital, drives growth and promotes competition," the report said.

Low competition in the airline industry remains a big hurdle to lower prices and better service across the country, and remote communities especially, the report found.

“Competition in Canada’s airline sector has struggled to take off,” it said, noting consumers’ dissatisfaction with fares, flight options and service quality.

Air Canada and WestJet together account for between half and three-quarters of all domestic passengers at major airports, according to the study.

Latest news

CanadaJul 17, 2025

Eliminating interprovincial trade barriers would add 30,000 annual housing starts: CMHC

Canada’s National Housing Agency says eliminating interprovincial trade barriers could lead to 30,000 more new homes being built in Canada each year. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said in a report Thursday that this would bring the total number of annual housing starts to nearly 280,000, a meaningful step toward addressing Canada’s housing supply gap. To achieve this goal, Canada will need to reduce provincial barriers that hinder transportation infrastructure from west to east, said CMHC chief economist Matthew LeBridge. The agency said this would help maximize the use of
sps-taking-over-patrol-from-rcmp-in-west-south-surrey
CanadaJul 17, 2025

SPS taking over patrol from RCMP in west South Surrey

Surrey Police Service is taking over patrols on the West Side of South Surrey from RCMP on July 28. SPS will also take over street patrols on the East Side on November 20. This information was provided by Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. Lipinski said that we are fully prepared for this transition and are working closely with our RCMP partners to ensure that this transition can happen smoothly. This is another phase in the ongoing transformation of Surrey Police Service, with SPS gradually taking over full responsibility as the city’s police force. The transition process is expected to be co
bchp-urging-drivers-to-slow-down-dude-and-drive-sober-amid-summer-highway-traffic-surge
BCJul 17, 2025

BCHP urging drivers to “slow down dude” and drive sober amid summer highway traffic surge

BC Highway Patrol in Golden is asking people to slow down and drive sober during a summer spike in excessive speeding and dangerous driving. It’s all happening amidst a huge increase in traffic volume on Highway #1. Summer is always a busy season on the Trans Canada, but we all need to obey the speed limit and drive with more caution, says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. Our officers feel like we are pulling people over moments before catastrophe, especially when drivers are speeding through national parks and construction zones. It’s also a good time to remember that t
CanadaJul 17, 2025

Large haul of cocaine seized during search at B.C. border crossing

A large haul of suspected cocaine has been seized during a search of a pickup truck at a B.C. border crossing. The Canada Border Services Agency said it was being smuggled into Canada. The statement said that on June 11, officers searched a pickup truck at the Osoyoos Port of Entry and found 70 kilograms of suspected cocaine in the form of bricks, equivalent to an estimated 144,000 individual doses. The driver was not named and has not yet been charged, but the Canada Border Services Agency said he was turned over to police. Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandsangri called it a ma
AlbertaJul 17, 2025

Statutory release for Calgary man who killed five-year-old grandson

A Calgary man convicted of manslaughter in the death of his five-year-old grandson has been granted statutory release from prison. The Parole Board of Canada says in a decision that Allan Perdomo Lopez is to have no contact with children. The now-65-year-old was sentenced in 2019 to nine years after Emilio Perdomo died of a traumatic brain injury. Five months earlier, the boy had been sent to Canada from Mexico by his mother for a better life. Court heard the boy was subjected to months of physical abuse, with bruising and scars found all over his body. The trial heard a recor

Related News