Privatization of Montreal-Trudeau Airport: Fréchette says she was not consulted
Posted September 16, 2026 1:56 am.
Christine Fréchette admitted she had neither been informed nor consulted by the Carney government regarding its intention to hand over the management of Montréal-Trudeau International Airport to the private sector.
READ: Carney wants private investors to run Canada’s four largest airports, including Montreal
“It is a federal asset,” she noted when asked if she should have been informed, speaking at a press briefing following the first televised debate of the Quebec election campaign on Tuesday evening.
“Fundamentally, it is the (federal) government that is in a position to manage this asset. Certainly, it would be welcome to be consulted or informed in advance,” she acknowledged.
“It is not normal” not to be consulted on the privatization of an airport “on our territory” — one that is in “our backyard” — criticized her opponent, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who also held a press briefing after the debate.
Fréchette suggested that the idea of privatizing the airport’s management had been “in the air last spring” and added that she was not opposed to it in principle.
However, she was quick to set conditions: the project must not lead to increased costs for users.
“It is something we will be keeping a close eye on,” said the CAQ leader.
St-Pierre Plamondon revealed that he had “instinctively” wondered whether Ottawa had consulted Quebec before announcing its decision.
Earlier on Tuesday, at a major investment summit in Toronto, Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated his intention to hand over the management of Canada’s four largest airports — Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto-Pearson — to private investors. However, he assured that the federal government would retain ownership of the land and assets.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
