Who Would Run Toronto Pearson Under Ottawa's Airport Privatization Plan?

TORONTO — September 22, 2026 — The federal government's plan to bring private investment into Toronto Pearson International Airport is raising an important question for thousands of workers and travellers:

If Pearson becomes privately operated, what happens to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and who would actually run the airport?

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on September 15 that Ottawa plans to seek private investment through long-term concessions for Canada's four largest airports — Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver and Calgary.

Under the proposal, the federal government would retain ownership of the underlying airport land and assets while allowing private investors to participate in airport operations and expansion through long-term agreements.

How Pearson Works Today

Toronto Pearson is currently operated by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, or GTAA.

GTAA is not a traditional private corporation with shareholders. It is a private, not-for-profit airport authority that leases Pearson from the Government of Canada.

Under Canada's current airport system, airport authorities are responsible for operating, maintaining and developing the airports they lease from the federal government.

That means GTAA currently makes many of the major operational and infrastructure decisions at Pearson, while the federal government remains the owner of the airport land.

What Could Change?

Ottawa has not yet released the final structure for Pearson under the proposed concession model.

Several possibilities could emerge.

GTAA could remain responsible for operating Pearson while private investors provide capital.

Another possibility is that GTAA could work with a private concession company under a new operating structure.

A more significant change could see some GTAA responsibilities transferred to a private concessionaire selected through a federal process.

At this stage, none of those outcomes has been finalized publicly.

GTAA Says It Wants to Be Part of the Next Steps

Following Ottawa's announcement, Toronto Pearson issued a statement saying it looks forward to working with the federal government on the next steps.

Pearson said its priority remains operating the airport safely and efficiently while supporting passengers, airlines, employees and its long-term investment plans.

The airport also highlighted the approximately 52,000 jobs supported at Pearson today.

That wording is important.

GTAA is not saying that it has already agreed to hand over control of Pearson. Instead, the organization appears to be positioning itself to participate in discussions over how the future model will work.

Who Ultimately Makes the Decision?

The biggest decision will come from the Government of Canada.

Because Ottawa owns the airport land and assets, the federal government will determine the rules of any new concession arrangement and the process used to select investors or operators.

GTAA would also have an important role through its board of directors and executive leadership, particularly in negotiations involving its existing lease, operations, infrastructure plans and employees.

But the federal government controls the larger policy decision over whether and how the concession model proceeds.

What About Pearson Employees?

This may be one of the biggest unanswered questions.

A private concession does not automatically mean that all 52,000 people working at Pearson would suddenly become employees of a new private company.

Many workers at Pearson are already employed by airlines, government agencies, security companies, ground-handling companies and other contractors.

Transport Canada says airport authorities primarily provide airport infrastructure, while many services such as baggage handling, catering, fueling and check-in are performed by airlines or companies contracted by them.

For employees directly working for GTAA, however, the future structure matters significantly.

Key questions remain unanswered:

Would GTAA continue to employ its existing workforce?

Would some employees be transferred to a new airport operator?

Would collective agreements remain unchanged?

Could some operations be outsourced?

And would a private concessionaire gain authority over staffing, wages, contracting and future airport development?

Those details have not yet been publicly finalized.

Major Investment Could Also Be Coming

Ottawa says the purpose of the concession model is to bring new capital and expertise into Canadian airports while maintaining public ownership of the assets.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon has said the government expects interest from Canadian pension funds as well as international infrastructure investors.

Any foreign investment would still be subject to applicable investment and national-security reviews.

Pearson is already planning major infrastructure modernization through its Pearson LIFT program, meaning any new investor could potentially become involved at a time when billions of dollars in airport development are expected over the coming years.

The Biggest Question Remains

For Pearson workers, airlines and passengers, the issue is no longer simply whether private money will enter the airport.

The bigger question is how much operational control a future investor would receive — and whether GTAA remains the organization running Toronto Pearson.

For now, GTAA remains the operator of Pearson.

Ottawa has announced its direction, but the detailed concession rules, worker protections and future operating structure have not yet been made public.

Until those details are released, the future role of GTAA remains one of the most important unanswered questions in Canada's airport privatization debate.

Written by Dwight Simpson | CanJam News