News Procedures
Edmonton International to reduce workforce by up to 40%

Edmonton Regional Airports Authority announced plans to reduce its workforce by up to 40 per cent, which will impact as many as 100 union and non-union positions at Edmonton International Airport. The workforce reductions are expected to begin after June 30, 2020.

Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is Canada’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area. EIA generates an annual economic output of more than $3.2 billion and indirectly supports more than 26,000 jobs. This includes EIA’s Airport City designed to foster new jobs, tourism and economic diversification in and around the airport.

EIA last year moved 8.15 million passengers and the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority, commonly referred to as Edmonton Airports, is forecasting to move approximately 2.7 million passengers. Passenger traffic has reduced by approximately 95 per cent, according to Edmonton Airports, which does not expect to return to 2019 passenger traffic levels until at least three years from now.

“This is a difficult and sad day for Edmonton Airports, and we regret having to take these steps. Our employees are the foundation of our organization and our contribution to our communities, and we feel this loss profoundly,” said Tom Ruth, president and CEO, Edmonton Airports. “Our critical operational and financial challenges demanded that we take this course of action to ensure we can continue to provide our region with key services including passenger, cargo and air ambulance flights.”

Edmonton Airports, which operates under a not-for-profit model, states revenues have declined by approximately 90 per cent in the last two months. The airport authority has already enacted a series of cost-cutting measures, such as offering voluntary unpaid leave and voluntary early retirement incentives for employees. Additionally, its capital spending was cut by 75 per cent to cover only essential safety and regulatory projects and non-labour costs were reduced by $50 million.