WHY KEEPING THE MUSKOKA AIRPORT IS SMART FOR OUR POCKETS—NOT A WASTE OF TAXES

In July 2025, the District handed airport operations over to a new public company called Muskoka Airport Inc. (MAI). This was done to fix a big problem: the airport currently costs taxpayers about $2 million a year to run.

This is the exact type of business model used by the Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport. By moving away from slow municipal management and aggressively renting out land to private businesses, Parry Sound successfully turned its budget around and is now actively making money.

It is normal to wonder why we are paying for an airport most of us don't use. However, closing it would hurt our local economy and safety.

Here is how the new business plan could turn things around:

 RUNNING IT LIKE A BUSINESS

Instead of slow government bureaucracy, MAI is run by business experts whose sole job is to eliminate the deficit and make the airport pay for itself.

 MAKING MONEY FROM LAND

The airport is renting out empty space—like its old grass runway—to aviation companies that repair and clean planes. These businesses pay long-term rent and create steady, year-round local jobs.

 CHARGING WEALTHY TRAVELLERS

Wealthy visitors fly private jets here every summer. The airport is maximizing profits by selling them jet fuel and charging higher parking fees for heavy aircraft.

 BOOSTING LOCAL SAFETY AND TOWNS

The airport is a critical liftoff hub for essential services like Ornge air ambulances, Hydro One, and emergency search and rescue. It also brings in business investors and tourists who spend money at our local shops, restaurants, and resorts.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If we shut down the airport, we could be throwing away millions in existing infrastructure, killing future job growth, and losing a vital lifeline for emergency medical flights. The current $2 million cost is just temporary bridge funding while the new team builds up rental income. We need to give this new business plan a fair chance to turn a tax drain into a community win.

-Leland Maw-