Corporate Governance, Accountability, and Transparency

The Board of Directors

The adoption of the National Airports Policy in 1994 resulted in the creation of local airport authorities across the country. These authorities were created with community-nominated Boards of Directors (Board) who were tasked with overseeing the management of their local facility.

The Ottawa International Airport Authority’s (Authority) Board follows these guidelines, which are included in the Authority’s by-laws:

• includes professional representation nominated by all three levels of government as well as community and business organizations;
• Directors shall not be elected officials or government employees;
• each Director has a fiduciary duty to the Authority;
• meets 8 to 10 times during the year;
• views its principal responsibility as overseeing the conduct of the business and supervising management to ensure that long-term goals and strategies are met; and
• must meet Conflict of Interest rules, adhere to the Authority’s Code of Business Conduct and the Public Accountability Principles for Canadian Airport Authorities.

Each Director has filed a conflict of interest declaration for 2020, as required by the Authority’s by-laws. Furthermore, to the Authority’s knowledge, all Directors are in compliance with the conflict of interest and code of conduct guidelines noted above.

A Director’s term of office is a maximum of three years. Each Director may be re-elected for additional terms, but may not serve as a Director for more than nine years.

The qualifications required of a Director are included in the by-laws. Collectively, the Directors shall have experience in the fields of law, engineering, accounting and management, and aviation industry management. In addition, the by-laws include restrictions to eliminate possible conflicts of interest arising from relationships with selecting bodies, thereby ensuring the independence of Directors and reinforcing their fiduciary responsibilities to the Authority. The Governance Committee has the power to ensure that the selecting bodies provide candidates for nomination to the Board having the skills and expertise necessary for the Board as a whole to carry out its duties.

The following represents the composition of the Board as at December 31^st, 2020.

Director’s Compensation in 2020

Annual Retainer

• Chair: $52,571
• Audit Committee Chair: $25,702
• Committee Chairs: $23,366
• All other Directors: $14,019

Per Meeting Fee

• $644 per meeting
• $233 per teleconference

Committees of the Board

The following is a list of Committees of the Board and the general mandate of each:

Governance Committee

• oversight and initiation of procedures to deliver best practices in the area of corporate governance;
• review the Annual Report as prepared by the President;
• establish the nomination procedures, the skill sets required for nominees and the length of term of selected nominees to the Board;
• evaluate and recommend nominees for Board positions to the Board;
• oversee the application of Conflict of Interest rules to Board members and nominees;
• develop a process for nomination of the Chair of the Board and oversee such process;
• review the annual Board evaluation process and any associated recommendations for change;
• review recommendations of the Chair of the Board regarding the composition of the Committees of the Board and appointment of the Committee Chairs;
• review changes to the Charters of all Board Committees and recommend changes for Board approval;
• review Director compensation and recommend any changes for Board approval;
• review the Authority’s structures and procedures to ensure the Board is able to function independently from the management; and
• review and monitor the Authority’s stakeholders’ engagement.

Major Infrastructure and Environment Committee

• oversee the Authority’s major infrastructure projects;
• oversee best practices in the area of environmental stewardship;
• review the overall technical merits of proposed major infrastructure projects, reports and other documents on design, cost (not affordability), quality, schedule, risk, and construction;
• review updates to the Authority’s Master Plan;
• review the infrastructure investment plans prepared as part of the annual Business Plan in consultation with the Audit Committee; and
• review the Authority’s environmental management reports including issues related to noise.

Audit Committee

• assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with regard to financial reporting, risk management, and audit functions;
• oversee selection, appointment, independence, compensation, performance review, and termination of the Authority’s external auditor;
• oversee annual external audit process including review of audit plan, emerging issues, accounting principals, and communications with external auditors;
• annually review proposed fiscal operating and capital budgets for recommendation to and approval by the Board;
• review the annual audited financial statements of the Authority for recommendation to and approval by the Board;
• review and approve the interim unaudited quarterly financial statements of the Authority;
• oversee selection, appointment, termination, compensation, performance review, and audit plan of the Authority’s internal audit function including the review of significant reports prepared by internal audit together with management’s response and follow-up actions to these reports;
• oversee the Authority’s processes for enterprise risk management including the review of financial and business risks, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, review of the insurance program, and review of the Code of Conduct and whistleblower programs; and
• oversee matters having a material financial impact on the Authority, including financing and liquidity requirements and compliance with debtholder obligations and make recommendations to the Board, as required.

Human Resources and Compensation Committee

• review succession plans for senior management;
• review the competitiveness and appropriateness of the Authority’s policies regarding management compensation, including the incentive plan, pension plans, benefits, and all other aspects of compensation;
• approve at-risk pay envelope pursuant to the Board approved At-Risk Pay Program;
• recommend to the Board the remuneration plan for excluded employees as well as mandates for collective bargaining and changes to collective agreements for unionized employees;
• review key human resources metrics on a regular basis, including the results of employee satisfaction surveys and key performance indicators;
• monitor the workplace culture of the Authority and recommend initiatives to enhance engagement;
• ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place with respect to workplace harassment as well as ensuring such policies and procedures are followed with respect to any incidents of workplace harassment; and
• monitor compliance with employment and labour-related statutory requirements.

Other Ad-Hoc committees may be formed from time to time that include members of the Board.

Accountability

The Authority’s policy is to be accountable to the community and to be transparent in relations with its business partners and customers. The Authority’s mandate, as set out in its Articles of Continuance, establishes a standard against which its performance can be measured.

The mandate of the Authority is:

• to manage, operate and develop the Ottawa International Airport, the premises of which will be leased to the Authority by Transport Canada, and any other airport in Canada’s Capital Region for which the Authority becomes responsible, in a safe, secure, efficient, cost-effective, and financially viable manner with reasonable airport user charges and equitable access to all carriers;
• to undertake and promote the development of airport lands, for which it is responsible, for uses that are compatible with air transportation activities; and
• to expand transportation facilities and generate economic activity in ways that are compatible with air transportation activities.

In executing its objects, the Authority shall confer regularly with governments and community entities on matters affecting the operation and development of the airports for which it is responsible and shall engage only in those activities that are consistent with its objects.

The Authority accounts for its actions to the community in a number of ways:

• by publishing an Annual Report;
• by hosting an Annual Public Meeting;
• by hosting an annual meeting with selecting bodies;
• by establishing and/or reporting to the following consultation committees:
  • Airport Noise Committee
  • Airline Consultative Committee
  • Airport Operators Committee
  • Community Consultative Committee
  • Airside Safety Committee;
• through meetings and/or consultations with local city officials;
• through extensive public consultations on the periodic renewal of the Airport Master Plan, which was updated in 1998, 2008 and 2018, and the Land Use Plan, which was last updated and approved by the Minister of Transport in 2018; and
• by maintaining a corporate website at www.yow.ca.

In addition, a performance review must be conducted at least once every five years, in keeping with the Authority’s Ground Lease with Transport Canada. This performance review was last completed in February 2017.

Executive Management Salary Ranges

The base salary range for the President of the Authority in 2020 was between $314,114 and $366,438. The base salary ranges for Vice Presidents in 2020 was between $125,012 and $253,130.

In addition, under the management at risk pay program for non-represented employees, the President and the Vice Presidents receive their at risk pay following fiscal year-end based on the achievement of performance targets/objectives that are consistent with the Authority’s Strategic Plan.

Fees and Charges

The Authority provides 60 days advance notice in local news media for all changes in user charges (excluding rent), together with an explanation for the noted increase. This includes aeronautical fees charged to air carriers and the Airport Improvement Fee (AIF).

While the Authority’s goal is to keep the aeronautical fees it charges air carriers reasonable, it has been necessary to adjust these fees on occasion. The Authority’s process for adjusting aeronautical fees and charges includes:

• prior to any change, consulting with air carriers through the Airline Consultative Committee, with necessary explanations and calculations showing how these fees were determined, at least 90 days in advance of the effective date of the change; and
• providing 60 days notice of the increase in fees to the airlines.

The Authority publicizes the reason for imposing an AIF, or for making changes to the fee. It last did this when it announced on June 26, 2020 that it was increasing its fee to $28 effective October 1, 2020. The purpose of the existing AIF is to pay for the construction of, and the debt associated with, the Authority’s major infrastructure construction programs.

The process for adjusting the AIF is similar to the process for adjusting aeronautical fees and charges, including public notice in the local news media.

Public Access to Documents

In accordance with Public Accountability Principles for Canadian Airport Authorities, the Authority makes available by appointment the following documents for examination, at no charge, during its usual business hours:

• the current Airport Master Plan;
• a summary of the Authority’s current Business and Strategic Plans;
• the most recent and the previous annual financial statements of the Authority, with the accompanying auditors reports (included in each year’s Annual Report);
• its five most recent Annual Reports, each of which includes a general summary of the Authority’s affairs during the previous fiscal year;
• summaries of the Authority’s five most recent Business Plans;
• the Authority’s Articles of Incorporation (its letters patent) and by-laws, including any amendments;
• all signed airport transfer agreements; and
• a summary of the Authority’s Five-year Performance Review document.