Airports for sale, and selling, in Midwestern Ontario

Midwestern Ontario airports slowly being sold off As municipalities look to divest themselves of the expensive infrastructure, others see an opportunity. CTV London's Scott Miller has more.

Wingham, Ont. — Summer and Tyler Papple are the new owners of the Wingham airport.

“When we heard the airport was potentially for sale, we thought it was a good opportunity to enliven and get more activity going at the Wingham airport again,” says Summer.

Pilots themselves, the Papples, who run a sightseeing and air taxi business out of Seaforth, Ont. say they didn’t want to see an airport close in the area, so they spent their own money to ensure it didn’t.

As a condition of sale, they’ve agreed to run it as an airport for at least the next 15 years.

“Some of our initial steps will be getting fuel available here again. We want to see new hangars being built. Anything we can do that will encourage more pilots to fly into Wingham, and eventually to get more pilots established here,” says Summer.

The Municipality of North Huron is happy the facility will remain an airport, but was more than happy to unload it.

“We’re happy to sell it because an airport is not a core service for a township. It’s an add-on, and we don’t feel this add-on was worth keeping at the cost of $100,000 a year,” says North Huron Reeve Bernie Bailey.

North Huron isn’t alone. Owen Sound just sold their airport for $1.5 million in order to get out from under future infrastructure costs.

Georgian Bluffs is currently trying to sell the Wiarton Keppel Airport, because they can’t afford the estimated $8.7 million future improvements required there.

“Most airports do not make money. Most municipalities can’t afford to lose money. The cost of doing business is too high, with your regular duties, you have to do,” says Bailey.

The Papples don’t envision the Richard W. Levan Wingham airport as a money maker, but they hope to at least find a way to break even on their new venture in the near future.

“I think there’s more interest from pilots, and even potential pilots, in this area, than people realize,” says Summer.

Bailey wouldn’t say how much the Wingham airport was sold for, but says proceeds from the sale, and annual savings, will be used to benefit the entire community.