Opportunity is in the Air for Southern Ontario Airports in Paris

Paris, France - June 21, 2019 - Airports from around Southern Ontario completed a successful international mission this week, representing the region’s aviation and aerospace assets at the Paris Air Show. Held at Aéroport Paris-le Bourget from June 17-23, the event drew over 300,000 participants, including 300 exhibitors, 290 official delegations from 98 countries and media from around the world.

Hosted by the Southern Ontario Airport Network (SOAN), the Paris Air Show delegation consisted of member airports and their communities including Sarnia, Peterborough, London, Mississauga, Region of Waterloo, Lake Simcoe/Barrie, as well as Toronto Pearson International Airport. Municipal leaders, including Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman, and economic development representatives including those from Toronto’s World Trade Centre were also on hand in Paris.

With a goal to demonstrate Southern Ontario’s aviation and aerospace industry on a global stage, and raise awareness of the region’s aviation assets with global aerospace players, government officials and business stakeholders, the delegation participated in several significant events, including:

• Participation in the Paris Air Show trade show, as part of the Ontario pavilion;

• Ontario Aerospace Dinner featuring remarks by Her Worship, Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Chair of the Southern Ontario Municipal Aerospace Council;

• Best practices and information exchanges with leading aerospace clusters including Normandie AeroEspace, Invest in Toulouse and the Polish Aviation Valley; and, 

• Attended panel and discussion forums featuring Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Government of Canada and Jim Quick, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada to discuss aerospace in Canada.

Members of the delegation also took the opportunity presented by attending the largest aerospace trade show and exhibition to meet with businesses interested in investing in Southern Ontario Airport Network communities.

SOAN was established in 2017 as a way for the region’s commercially significant airports to collaborate to showcase the diversity of aviation assets in this growing region. Participating airports have modern facilities and offer professional and efficient client services and personalized amenities for a range of businesses including cargo, charter flights, warehousing, flight training and other aviation and aerospace businesses. SOAN holds a bi-annual aviation summit and conducts other activities to raise awareness about and the profile of southern Ontario’s airports as enablers of trade, tourism and foreign direct investment in Ontario and Canada. The Paris Air Show was SOAN’S first international mission.

For more information on Southern Ontario Airports Network and aviation opportunities in the region, visit: www.soairportnetwork.com/opportunities.

The Southern Ontario Airport Network is comprised of eleven commercially significant airports in Southern Ontario: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Hamilton John C. Munro International Airport, Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, London International Airport, Oshawa Executive Airport, Niagara District Airport, Peterborough Airport, Region of Waterloo Airport, Windsor International Airport and Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport.  Located in Canada’s most economically productive and fastest growing region, each airport shares the goal of utilizing the available capacity at their airports to support the diverse needs of their communities and in turn, developing economic opportunities locally, regionally, provincially and nationally.