What’s it like to manage the financial performance of an airport? To find out, we sat down with Peter Tong, Vice President, Corporate Finance & Strategy and CEO of TradePort to learn more about his career journey, his dual roles at Vantage and TradePort, the recently completed passenger terminal transformation at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and more.

Peter was recently appointed CEO of TradePort, the Vantage company that manages Hamilton International Airport (YHM), and continues to serve as VP, Corporate Finance & Strategy and support Vantage Futures, our corporate venture capital initiative. While he was a member of the TradePort board of directors, Peter played a key role in securing a 49-year lease with the City of Hamilton for YHM’s growth and in establishing a strategic partnership with Porter Airlines, which just launched service to four destinations from YHM.

Our Fast Five interview covers:

• Peter’s career journey
• His dual roles at Vantage and TradePort
• The keys to a successful development project
• What excites him most about the YHM redevelopment
• His favorite part of working at Vantage

You have more than 20 years of experience in aviation. Did you always see yourself working in this industry?

What was initially an opportunity to travel and see more of Canada has turned into a career with experiences that I never would have imagined. It’s opened my eyes to career paths that I didn’t even know existed.

In 2003, I started out on the airline side of the business working in an airport operations role. From there, wanting to learn more about the business side of the airline, I moved into a corporate role. As the airline grew, there were more opportunities to contribute and gain more experience. I eventually stepped into  senior leadership roles including overseeing the corporate strategy and development.

These opportunities eventually led me to Vantage, which was a company I’ve always held in high regard. I was thrilled to join the team — and seven years later, I’m just as excited about each new project as I was on that first day.

You were recently appointed CEO of TradePort in addition to your role at Vantage. How do the two roles complement each other?

It’s certainly unique — and it’s representative of Vantage’s approach to leadership; staying agile and aligning with our strengths and current opportunities.

Hamilton has always been a very important airport in our portfolio, so I’ve been involved with TradePort since I started with Vantage in 2018. I’ve also been on the board of directors at TradePort since 2021.

In my new role, I’m continuing to do a lot of the same work with TradePort but in a more formal capacity, where I’m directly involved in delivering the strategic aspects needed to advance Hamilton International Airport forward.

From a financial management perspective, what makes an airport transformation successful?

There’s both short-term and long-term measures of success. In the short term, it’s about getting a project done on time and on budget. In the long-term, it’s about the ability to execute against a broader plan.

For both short- and long-term success, having an aligned group of stakeholders is key. It’s not only the employees and the team working at the airport every day, but also the airline partners, cargo partners, concessionaires, regulators, and more, and in YHM’s case, the City of Hamilton. Everyone plays a role —and all parties must be driving toward the same goal to make a development successful.

Another key indicator of success is when the community embraces the airport. Whether it’s in Hamilton, The Bahamas, or New York, people rely on these airports, and they need to see the value and convenience they provide, and the extended economic impact the airport drives.

What has been the most exciting part of seeing the Hamilton Airport transformation come to life?

Following the phases of the transformation, and seeing the vision we had on paper come to life — including how close it looks to the original renderings — has been very exciting!

It’s also been incredibly rewarding to see the positive reactions from people coming through the new terminal, including hearing Hamilton’s Mayor Andrea Horwath share her excitement about our work to build out a world-class airport that reflects the community.

Our role is to bring a sense of place into the airport and developing an airport that everyone feels proud to work at every day or travel through has been a highlight.

What is your favorite part of working at Vantage Group?

We get to work with people who possess such a diverse skillset, from airport operators to airlines and those with a finance background. Each person is an expert in their area and it’s inspiring to see everyone draw on their individual experiences to create something unique.

I also love that we get to work on projects that leave a lasting impact. In some places, like Nassau in The Bahamas, the airport is an integral driver of the country’s GDP. To know that we’ve developed an airport that contributes significantly to the economy while enabling pleasant, less stressful travel experiences is very rewarding.

It’s amazing to be part of a company that’s driving change for the industry. To bring it back to Hamilton, I’m very proud to be part of the team that’s transforming what travel and the airport can look like for the community and region.

The best part of working at YHM is the opportunity to redefine what a small- to medium-sized airport can be. These airports often serve as vital gateways for their communities and transforming them can have a profound impact — not just on the travel experience, but on regional connectivity, economic development, and community pride. It’s about showing that thoughtful, passenger-focused design, and operational excellence can thrive at any scale, and that airports of any size can deliver exceptional value and experience.