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Bill C-27

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Time limit for deciding appeal

161. The Agency must decide an appeal as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 60 days after the expiry of the appeal period.

Notification of decision

162. The Agency must immediately notify the airport operator and the appellant of its decision and provide written reasons for it.

Decision final

163. A decision of the Agency on an appeal is final and, notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament, no appeal lies from the decision.

Canada Transportatio n Act

164. Sections 4, 24, 25.1 to 29, 32, 34, 37, 40, 41 and 43 of the Canada Transportation Act do not apply in respect of this Act.

Additional Provisions - Passenger Fees

Use of revenues

165. (1) Airport operators must use revenues from a passenger fee for a major capital program, including the repayment of principal and interest on debt, or to pay the costs of collecting the passenger fee.

Exception

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), airport authorities may use revenues from a passenger fee for infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c).

Short-term funding

166. An airport operator may use revenues from a passenger fee for short-term funding of airport operations if equivalent revenues from other sources are subsequently made available for a major capital program or infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c).

Extension of fee

167. If an airport operator extends the imposition of a passenger fee related to a major capital program or infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c) for a period exceeding that referred to in subparagraph 148(7)(a)(iv), and the extension is for a reason other than those set out in subsection 148(5), the airport operator must make an announcement explaining the reason for the extension.

Cessation of fee

168. (1) The airport operator must stop imposing a passenger fee in respect of the major capital program or infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c) as soon as the circumstances referred to in subparagraph 148(7)(a)(iv) arise.

Limitation

(2) The use of passenger fees for a purpose referred to in section 166 does not affect the determination of when an airport operator must stop imposing a fee under subsection (1).

Exception

169. An airport operator who operates an airport that had an average of fewer than 400,000 enplaned and deplaned passengers per year during the three calendar years before the year in which the fee is established may use the revenues from the fee at that airport for a purpose other than a major capital program or infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c) if the operator

    (a) gives notice of the purpose; and

    (b) spends the revenues from the fee for the purpose indicated in the notice during a calendar year in which the airport has fewer than 400,000 enplaned and deplaned passengers or during the year immediately following it.

Suspension - construction not started for two years

170. (1) If the airport operator has not started construction of at least one project that is part of a major capital program or infrastructure covered by an agreement referred to in paragraph 50(2)(c) within two years after the date that the related passenger fee takes effect, the airport operator must suspend the fee. Any balance on hand at the time of the suspension of the fee must be segregated in a reserve fund.

Suspension - 20% limit

(2) If, at any time before the start of construction of the project, the airport operator has received more than 20% of the total estimated capital cost of the program from the passenger fee and financial assistance (including grants, contributions and subsidies) received by the airport operator for the program, the airport operator must suspend the fee. Any balance on hand at the time of the suspension of the fee must be segregated in a reserve fund.

Resumption of fee

(3) After the start of construction of the project, the airport operator may resume the fee that has been suspended.

Notice of suspensions and resumptions

(4) The airport operator must give notice of the suspension or resumption of a fee, together with the reasons for it, by

    (a) sending a copy of the notice to all persons and organizations referred to in subsection 150(2);

    (b) making an electronic version of the notice available on its Internet site, if it has one; and

    (c) posting a copy of the notice in prominent places in every air terminal building on the airport.

Bringing Existing Fees into Compliance

Obligation of airport operators

171. Before the expiry of the second calendar year after the day on which this section comes into force, or after the airport operator's becoming subject to the application of this Part, every airport operator must ensure that all its fees are in compliance with the charging principles.

Announceme nt

172. (1) The airport operator must, within the two-year period referred to in section 171, make an announcement that, in the opinion of the airport operator, all its fees are in compliance with the charging principles.

Contents

(2) The announcement must

    (a) set out the airport operator's fees and provide a justification of each fee;

    (b) indicate that further information about each fee and its justification is available from the operator on request; and

    (c) indicate that any fee may be appealed to the Agency.

Information

173. (1) The airport operator must provide, on request, information that would reasonably assist any person to understand the announcement.

Meeting with air carriers

(2) The airport operator must write to the air carriers operating on the airport inviting them to a meeting to be held at least 30 days before making an announcement under subsection 172(1) to discuss the compliance of the fees with the charging principles.

Minutes

(3) The airport operator must keep minutes of a meeting held under subsection (2).

Appeal

174. (1) An appeal of any fee set out in the announcement may be made to the Agency in accordance with sections 154, 155, 157 and 160 to 163 on the ground that the fee is not in compliance with the charging principles.

Agency decision

(2) The Agency may dismiss the appeal or declare that the fee is not in compliance with the charging principles.

Proposal to revise non-complian t fees

(3) If the Agency declares that a fee is not in compliance with the charging principles, the airport operator must, within 30 days after the declaration, give notice under section 148 of a proposal to revise the fee or announce that the fee will be reduced.

Deeming provision

175. A fee is deemed not to be in compliance with the charging principles if

    (a) it is not set out in an announcement under section 172; or

    (b) it is established or revised after the announcement, but not in accordance with sections 148 to 165 and 169.

Additional Provisions - Existing Passenger Fees

Designation of use of existing passenger fees

176. (1) For each passenger fee in existence immediately before the coming into force of this section, an airport operator must, within one year after this section comes into force,

    (a) designate and describe the program of capital expenditures for which the revenues from the fee are to be used, to be implemented over a period of 10 years or less and, in a manner that in the opinion of the airport operator is reasonable and prudent,

      (i) estimate the remaining capital cost of the program,

      (ii) estimate the time frame for construction of projects comprising the program and target date for putting them into use,

      (iii) explain how the fee relates to funding of the program, including debt financing, and

      (iv) describe the circumstances under which the fee will no longer be required and estimate when it may be terminated; and

    (b) give notice of the designation and description.

Further information

(2) The notice must indicate that further information about the program is available from the airport operator on request.

Application

177. Sections 166 to 168 apply to the airport operator as if the expression ``major capital program'' referred to in those sections were read as ``program designated under section 176''.

Exception

178. An airport operator who operates an airport that had an average of fewer than 400,000 enplaned and deplaned passengers per year during the three calendar years before this section came into force may use the revenues from a passenger fee at that airport for a purpose other than a program referred to in paragraph 176(1)(a) if the operator

    (a) gives notice of the purpose within one year after the coming into force of this section; and

    (b) spends the revenues from the fee for the purpose indicated in the notice during a calendar year in which the airport has fewer than 400,000 enplaned and deplaned passengers or the year immediately following it.

Suspension of designated program

179. (1) If the airport operator designates a program under subsection 176(1) but does not start construction of at least one project that is part of the program within two years after the coming into force of this section, the operator must suspend the passenger fee for the program. Any balance on hand at the time of the suspension of the fee must be segregated in a reserve fund.

Resumption of fee

(2) After the start of construction of a project, the airport operator may resume imposing the fee that has been suspended.

Notice of suspensions and resumptions

(3) The airport operator must give notice of the suspension or resumption of a fee, together with the reasons for it, by

    (a) sending a copy of the notice to all persons and organizations referred to in subsection 150(2);

    (b) making an electronic version of the notice available on its Internet site, if it has one; and

    (c) posting a copy of the notice in prominent places in every air terminal building on the airport.

Expansion of a designated program

180. Notwithstanding subsection 148(5), airport operators must not add a project to a designated program that does not meet the requirements in paragraph (a) of the definition ``major capital program'' in subsection 2(1).

Seizure and Detention of Aircraft

Seizure and detention

181. (1) If the amount of any fee and the interest on it has not been paid, the airport operator may, in addition to any other remedy available for collecting the amount and whether or not a judgment for collecting the amount has been obtained, on application to the superior court of the province in which any aircraft owned or operated by the person liable to pay the amount is situated, obtain an order of the court, issued on any terms that the court considers necessary, authorizing the operator to seize and detain aircraft.

Ex parte application

(2) If the amount of any fee referred to in subsection (1) and the interest on it has not been paid and the airport operator has reason to believe that the person liable to pay the amount is about to leave Canada or take from Canada any aircraft owned or operated by the person, the operator may, in addition to any other remedy available for collecting the amount and whether or not a judgment for collecting the amount has been obtained, on ex parte application to the superior court of the province in which any aircraft owned or operated by the person is situated, obtain an order of the court, issued on any terms that the court considers necessary, authorizing the operator to seize and detain aircraft.

Release on payment

(3) Subject to subsection (4), except if otherwise directed by an order of a court, an airport operator is not required to release from detention an aircraft seized under subsection (1) or (2) unless the amount in respect of which the seizure was made is paid.

Release on security

(4) An airport operator must release from detention an aircraft seized under subsection (1) or (2) if a bond, suretyship or other security in a form satisfactory to the operator for the amount in respect of which the aircraft was seized is deposited with the operator.

Exempt aircraft

182. (1) Any aircraft of a person referred to in subsection 181(1) or (2) that would be exempt from seizure under a writ of execution issued by the superior court of the province in which the aircraft is situated is exempt from seizure and detention under that subsection.

Exemption

(2) The Governor in Council may, by regulation, exempt any aircraft from seizure and detention under section 181.

PART 7

COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT

Inspection

Designation of inspectors

183. The Minister may designate as an inspector for the administration of this Act any person or class of persons that the Minister considers qualified. The Minister must give each inspector a designation document specifying the terms and conditions of the designation.

Powers of inspection

184. (1) For the purpose of administering this Act, an inspector may

    (a) enter and inspect any place, other than a dwelling-place, where the inspector has reason to believe that there is any thing, or any information, record, book of account or other document or data, relevant to the administration of this Act;

    (b) require any person to present anything referred to in paragraph (a) for inspection in the manner and under any conditions that the inspector considers necessary to carry out the inspection;

    (c) examine any thing or any record, book of account or other document or data that the inspector has reason to believe is relevant to the administration of this Act and make copies of the information, using the equipment available at the place; and

    (d) take samples of the air, soil, ground water and surface water on the airport and conduct tests and analyses of them.

Access to computers

(2) In exercising any of the powers referred to in subsection (1), an inspector may

    (a) have access to any computer or data processing system in order to examine any data contained in or available to the computer or system; and

    (b) reproduce any record from the data, in the form of a print-out or other intelligible output, and remove the print-out or other output for examination.

Designation document to be produced

185. When exercising any powers under this Act, an inspector must, on request, show his or her designation document.

Duty to assist

186. The owner or person in charge of a place that is entered by an inspector and every person found there must give the inspector all reasonable assistance to enable the inspector to exercise his or her powers and carry out his or her duties and provide the inspector with any thing or information relevant to the administration of this Act that the inspector requires.