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Tag: Prince George YXS

  • Passenger volume takes off at YXS

    From My Prince George Now – link to source story – thanks to CW

    Dione Wearmouth, staff Friday, Jul. 16th, 2021 

    Prince George Airport (Photo supplied by YXS)

    The rates of passengers catching flights at the Prince George Airport are steadily increasing as the airport saw the most monthly passengers in June 2021 since March 2020.

    The airport saw 7,427 passengers in April, 8,124 passengers in May, and 12,870 passengers in June.

    Passenger numbers at YXS were up significantly in comparison to the second quarter of 2020; however, passenger volumes are still down 54% year to date.

    “We’re seeing a very significant increase in passenger numbers and we’re very happy about that, ” said President and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority, Gordon Duke, “it’s a good sign.”

    Duke adds he believes this trend will continue into the next couple of months as provincial health restrictions ease nationwide.

    “The airline partners that we have are putting on more destinations, more capacity and I think people want to visit their friends and family and they, of course, have been restricted because of the public health directives and properly so, however, I think there’s going to be a bit of an uptick,” he added.

    In terms of air service, the Prince George Airport is seeing growth with Flair starting back up and expanded schedules from both Central Mountain Air and Pacific Coastal.

    Recently, the inaugural flight from Campbell River to Prince George took off, a route that will be available with Central Mountain Air on Wednesdays and Tuesdays.

    Additionally, Duke says that the increasing trend of people supporting the aviation sector isn’t just occurring in the Northern Capital.

    “In BC we’re definitely seeing a lot of airport numbers are getting back in that positive direction and as the rest of the country comes online and restrictions are dropped we’ll see that people will have the opportunity to move about Canada as we’ve been used to in the past. I think the transporter and international market is going to be a little bit tougher, however, as restrictions are lifted that market will grow as well.”

  • Skip the long drive by flying out to your B.C. destination this summer

    Thanks to CW

    7 July 2021

    Central Mountain Air is running non-stop flights from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, the Cariboo region, the Okanagan Valley, and Central B.C.

    central-mountain-air-1Kelowna, B.C.Central Mountain Air

    Really want to make a great escape from the city but NOT looking forward to that long car ride in the hot summer heat? Opt to hop on a plane to your getaway spot instead!

    Now that non-essential travel within B.C. is encouraged again, Vancouverites can book inter-provincial non-stop flights with Central Mountain Air for a quick and affordable way to get around the province this year.

    Departing from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), passengers can fly direct from Vancouver to Campbell River, Quesnel, Kamloops, Kelowna, and Prince George. 

    Then, from Prince George, you can also fly further up Northern B.C. with routes to Fort. St. John, Fort Nelson, and Terrace.  


    Campbell River, B.C. Photo: Central Mountain Air.

    Here’s a quick primer of the cities that Central Mountain Air currently flies to from Vancouver.  

    • On the east coast of Vancouver Island, the oceanside community of Campbell River and the Discovery Islands are renowned for its spectacular mountains, west coast woodlands, Elk Falls Provincial Park and Suspension Bridge, whale watching, and salmon fishing at Discovery Pier.
       
    • Located along a pivotal mining trail of the Cariboo Gold Rush, Quesnel is home to B.C. heritage spots such as the Alexander Mackenzie hiking trail and the original 1867 Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post in Riverfront Park.
       
    • The sunny canyon city of Kamloops in B.C.’s Interior is a four-season playground with long summers for hiking, biking, and water adventures. Go kayaking on one of Kamloops’ 100+ lakes and embark on outdoor adventures at Sun Peaks Resort.
       
    • Located on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, Kelowna is the Okanagan Valley’s largest city and is known for local vineyards and wineries, sandy beaches, surrounding provincial parks, and bustling downtown area — making it the perfect destination for urban and rural experiences.
       
    • The largest city in Northern B.C, Prince George is full of opportunities for outdoor recreation, from mountain biking through pristine rainforests to fishing in the endless network of streams, lakes, and rivers. It’s also the basecamp for venturing into Northeastern B.C. and Northwestern B.C. towards Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, and Terrace.  


    Fly with CMA! Photo: Central Mountain Air.

    Connecting B.C. communities with ease and convenience since 1987, the independent Western Canadian airline is giving local B.C. residents a chance to go back to travelling and exploring their backyard. 

    And, to further ensure that you can book your flight with confidence, Central Mountain Air has extended their COVID-19 flexible booking and cancellation policy until July 31st for travel through to November 7th, so you can have peace of mind knowing you can make changes to your flight reservation if you need to. ⁠

    For more info, visit flycma.com/schedule.

  • WestJet reconnecting routes across British Columbia

    Airline to restart eight routes and inaugurate new flights between nine communitiesby early July

    CALGARY, AB, June 25, 2021 /CNW/ – WestJet is further restoring British Columbia’s domestic and interprovincial connectivity with the restart of eight routes to and from destinations across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The airline is also set to inaugurate 10 new routes by July 5, 2021. Full schedule details and resumption dates are outlined below.

    “We continue to work towards the restoration of our pre-COVID domestic network to ensure that when our guests are ready to travel, we are there for them,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “WestJet remains committed to building back stronger for the betterment of all Canadians and as we look ahead to reconnecting friends, family and loved ones, the safe restart of travel is essential to Canada’s economic recovery.”

    WestJet’s investments are critical to ensuring British Columbia’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and by the end of June, the airline is set to inaugurate new flights between Abbotsford and Prince George and restore WestJet Link service between Vancouver and Cranbrook.

    “As a leader in aviation, WestJet has been working with industry, tourism and business across the province to ensure their voices are being heard as we safely restart travel. We thank Premier Horgan and his government for prioritizing travel as a critical component of the government’s restart plan. While progress has been made in British Columbia, we continue to advocate for safe travel framework from the Government of Canada,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Executive Vice-President.

    This July, WestJet will offer non-stop service from Vancouver to 18 cities, from Victoria to eight cities, from Kelowna to seven cities, from Comox to four cities and from Nanaimo to three cities. From the communities of Kamloops, Penticton and Prince George, the airline will connect to two communities non-stop.

    Love Where You’re Going Again – WestJet’s Latest Video

    For more than 17 months, Canadians from coast-to-coast have been separated from the people and places they love. WestJet’s latest brand moment is a reminder to Canadians that it’s time to love where they’re going, again.

    British Columbia route restarts between now and June 30, 2021

    RoutePeak FrequencyRoute restart date
    Victoria – Winnipeg *3x weeklyJune 24, 2021 
    Kelowna – Regina *2x weeklyJune 24, 2021 
    Nanaimo – Vancouver  2x dailyJune 25, 2021 
    Nanaimo – Edmonton *2x weeklyJune 25, 2021 
    Comox – Vancouver  2x dailyJune 25, 2021 
    Kelowna – Saskatoon *2x weeklyJune 25, 2021 
    Kelowna – Victoria  4x weeklyJune 25, 2021 
    Vancouver – Cranbrook  1x dailyJune 25, 2021 
    Abbotsford – Prince George *2x weeklyJune 25, 2021 
    Prince George – Calgary  4x weeklyJune 25, 2021 
    Victoria – Ottawa * 1x weeklyJune 26, 2021 
    Comox – Edmonton 5x weeklyJune 26, 2021 
    Comox – Toronto *1x weeklyJune 26, 2021 
    Victoria – Saskatoon *2x weeklyJune 27, 2021 
    Victoria – Toronto2x weeklyJune 30, 2021
    Penticton – Edmonton * 2x weeklyJuly 4, 2021
    Kamloops – Edmonton *2x weeklyJuly 5, 2021
    Vancouver – Fort St. John 4x weeklyJuly 13, 2021
    *New Route

    About WestJet 

    In 25 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

    Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

  • WestJet reconnecting Alberta routes

    Airline to restart 10 routes across province and inaugurate new service from Edmonton to Penticton, Kamloops and Nanaimo

    Non-stop service between Calgary-Charlottetown to launch on July 29

    CALGARY, AB, June 25, 2021 /CNW/ -WestJet is further restoring Alberta’s domestic and interprovincial connectivity with the restart of 10 routes to and from destinations across British Columbia, the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia from Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat. The airline will also start operation of three new routes to and from Edmonton and begin non-stop service between Calgary and Charlottetown. Full schedule details and resumption dates are outlined below.

    “We continue to work towards the restoration of our pre-COVID domestic network to ensure that when our guests are ready to travel, we are there for them,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “WestJet remains committed to building back stronger for the betterment of all Canadians, and as we look ahead to reconnecting friends, family and loved ones, the safe restart of travel is essential to Canada’s economic recovery.”

    Connecting Alberta to Prince Edward Island non-stop

    After being delayed due to the pandemic, WestJet will bridge new domestic connections between the east and the west with the introduction of new twice-weekly, non-stop service between Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Calgary, beginning July 29. The service connecting the two provinces was previously scheduled to start in June 2020.

    WestJet’s investments are critical to ensuring Alberta’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and this July, WestJet will offer non-stop service from Calgary to 42 cities and from Edmonton to 16 cities. 

    “This week’s meeting with more than 70 Northern Alberta industry partners demonstrates the value of listening to our partners as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic. We thank Premier Kenney and his government for leading the safe restart of travel for Albertans. While progress has been made in Alberta, we continue to advocate for a safe travel framework from the Government of Canada,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Executive Vice-President.

    Love Where You’re Going Again – WestJet’s Latest Video

    For more than 17 months, Canadians from coast-to-coast have been separated from the people and places they love. WestJet’s latest brand moment is a reminder to Canadians that it’s time to love where they’re going, again.

    Alberta route restarts between now and July 6, 2021

    RoutePeak FrequencyRoute restart date
    Edmonton – Nanaimo*2x weeklyJune 25, 2021
    Edmonton – Regina 6x weeklyJune 25, 2021
    Edmonton – Comox 5x weeklyJune 25, 2021
    Calgary – Prince George4x weeklyJune 25, 2021
    Calgary – London, Ont.4x weeklyJune 25, 2021
    Edmonton – Winnipeg 6x weeklyJune 30, 2021
    Calgary – Windsor2x weeklyJune 26, 2021
    Calgary – Whitehorse2x weeklyJune 27, 2021
    Calgary – Medicine Hat5x weeklyJune 27, 2021
    Edmonton – Halifax 2x weeklyJuly 1, 2021
    Edmonton – Penticton*2x weeklyJuly 3, 2021
    Edmonton – Kamloops*2x weeklyJuly 4, 2021
    Edmonton – Saskatoon 6x weeklyJuly 6, 2021
    Calgary – Charlottetown *2x weeklyJuly 29, 2021
    *New route

    About WestJet 

    In 25 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

    Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

  • Central Mountain Air Adds Campbell River to Network

    Thanks to CW

    CAMPBELL RIVER PRESS RELEASE.png

    (Smithers, BC, June 17th, 2021)

    17 June 2021 – Central Mountain Air adds Campbell River via Vancouver and Prince George to their Summer Flight Network with 16 flights per week.    

    Central Mountain Air (CMA) announced today that it will add Campbell River to its network with 16 flights per week beginning Monday, July 12, 2021, and continuing through to Saturday, November 6, 2021. Scheduled service will include 12 non-stop flights per week to/from Vancouver and 4 non-stop flights per week to/from Prince George.   

    These flights will focus on adding convenient times and connections to their expanding network. “We are excited to be offering a great new option from the area to Northern B.C.” shared CMA Head of Commercial Michael Claeren, “the connections to Terrace, Fort St John, and Fort Nelson are well-timed for mid-morning arrival and mid-afternoon return”. He continued, “we are also happy to be re-entering the Campbell River to Vancouver market, after having suspended operations due to COVID-19 just over a year ago”.  

    With reopening plans moving forward in both British Columbia and Alberta, CMA is optimistic about the future of air travel as restrictions ease and we continue on the road to recovery. CMA looks forward to continuing to connect communities, loved ones, workforces, and provide an essential service to the communities that need it.   

    Other new routes already announced that will start on June 28 are non-stop flights from Edmonton to/from Fort St John, High Level, and Grande Prairie, as well as non-stop flights from Vancouver to/from Quesnel. 

    CMA is the independent regional airline leader in British Columbia and Alberta with 29 aircraft and looks forward to more fully utilizing that fleet.  

    See CMA’s full schedule at flycma.com/schedule  

    About Central Mountain Air Ltd.    

    Established in 1987, CMA is a Western Canadian privately owned and operated company. CMA provides scheduled flights to twelve communities, cargo to ten, and charter flights throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and Western Canada. For more information, and to learn about CMA’s enhanced COVID-19 safety procedures, visit flycma.com.

  • Air Canada Supports Economic Recovery as the Country’s Leading Carrier, Serving 50 Cities Across Canada to Enable Canadians to Conveniently Connect

    • Most extensive domestic schedule supports Canada’s tourism and hospitality sector
    • Includes three new routes, re-established routes plus Air Canada Signature Class and Premium Economy Class cabins on select transcontinental routes
    • New refund policy gives additional peace of mind

    MONTREAL, June 15, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada’s domestic peak summer schedule beginning at the end of June has been developed to advance the country’s economic recovery and support Canada’s tourism and hospitality businesses during the important summer period.  Three new domestic Canada routes, service to 50 Canadian airports, the re-establishment of select regional routes, and wide-body aircraft featuring Air Canada Signature Class and Premium Economy Class on select transcontinental routes are included. Seats with attractive pricing in all cabins are available for purchase now at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres and travel agencies.

    “With Canada’s ongoing vaccine roll-out acceleration together with various provincial governments’ reopening plans that include travel, this summer is looking brighter. As customers are ready to travel, Air Canada is taking a leadership position to support our partners in Canada’s tourism and hospitality sector with service to 50 destinations from coast to coast, the re-start of regional services and new, non-stop flights,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.

    “We are especially proud that our new state-of-the-art, Canadian-manufactured Airbus A220 aircraft will be operating across Canada. With our industry-leading CleanCare+ bio-safety protocols, promotional fares including for our premium cabins, compelling Aeroplan opportunities, and our new refund policy offering additional peace of mind, customers can book Air Canada with confidence.  We look forward to welcoming you onboard when you’re ready to fly,” concluded Mr. Galardo.

    Air Canada’s new refund policy provides customers an option for a refund to the original form of payment in instances where Air Canada cancels their flight or reschedules the departure time by more than three hours, irrespective of the reason. Air Canada customers will also have the option of accepting an Air Canada Travel Voucher or Aeroplan points with a 65% bonus.  Normal fare rules will apply when customers make voluntary changes to non-affected flights.

    New route details:

    RouteFrequencyAircraftEffective
    Montreal-Deer LakeDailyCRJ900Jul 1, 2021
    Montreal-Kelowna3x Weekly July4x Weekly AugAirbus A220June 26, 2021
    Montreal-Saskatoon-ReginaDailyCRJ900Aug 1, 2021

    Resumption of services:

    Airport StationRouteEffectiveFrequency
    Gander Gander – HalifaxJun 293x Weekly
     Gander – TorontoJul 25x Weekly
    St. John’s St. John’s – TorontoJun 19Daily
    Goose Bay Goose Bay – St. John’sJun 293x Weekly
    Deer Lake Deer Lake – HalifaxAug 15x Weekly
    Halifax Halifax – CalgaryAug 15x Weekly
    Sydney Sydney – TorontoJun 263x Weekly
     Sydney – MontrealAug 1Daily
    Charlottetown Charlottetown – TorontoJun 184x Weekly
    Saint John Saint John – MontrealJun 303x Weekly
     Saint John – TorontoJul 24x Weekly
    Fredericton Fredericton – MontrealJun 29Daily
     Fredericton – TorontoJul 15x Weekly
    Bathurst Bathurst – MontrealJun 273x Weekly
    Quebec City Quebec City – TorontoJun 191x Daily
    Ottawa Ottawa – CalgaryJul 2Daily
     Ottawa – EdmontonAug 12x Weekly
    North Bay North Bay – TorontoJun 283x Weekly
    Fort McMurray Fort McMurray – TorontoJuly 12x Weekly
    Winnipeg Winnipeg – CalgaryJun 206x weekly
     Winnipeg – MontrealAug 1Daily
    Regina Regina – CalgaryJul 15x Weekly
    Saskatoon Saskatoon – CalgaryJul 25x Weekly
    Kamloops Kamloops – VancouverJun 294x Weekly
     Kamloops – CalgaryJun 284x Weekly
    Comox Comox – VancouverJun 303x Weekly
    Nanaimo Nanaimo – TorontoJul 41x Weekly
     Nanaimo – CalgaryJul 25x weekly
    Prince Rupert Prince Rupert – VancouverJun 253x Weekly
    Penticton Penticton – VancouverJun 294x Weekly
    Sandspit Sandspit – VancouverJun 233x Weekly
    Victoria Montreal – VictoriaJun 193x Weekly
     Toronto – VictoriaJun 194x Weekly
     Calgary – VictoriaJun 214x Weekly
    Castlegar Castlegar – VancouverJun 283x Weekly
    Kelowna Kelowna TorontoJun 184x Weekly
    Yellowknife Yellowknife – CalgaryJun 303x Weekly

    Air Canada is also providing connectivity to five additional regional communities through interline agreements with third party regional carriers: Wabush, Baie Comeau, Gaspe, Mont Joli, and Val d’Or.

    Air Canada’s commercial schedule may be adjusted as required based on the COVID-19 trajectory and government restrictions.

    About Air Canada

    Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline, and in 2020 was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler’s Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX’s Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050.

  • Flair Airlines Extends Domestic Schedule into 2022

    The growing ULCC has released its Winter 2021/22 schedule for sale with fares starting from as low as $19

    Edmonton, Alberta, May 27, 2021 – Flair Airlines, Canada’s only independent ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), has expanded its schedule with flights to domestic destinations now on sale until March 2022.  With 24 routes and over 650,000 seats on sale, Winter 2021/22 will be Flair’s biggest ever winter schedule.

    The winter schedule is part of Flair’s expansion of service to bring low fare air travel to more Canadians. The airline has 13 new aircraft on order joining the fleet in 2021 and 2022.

    “We understand how keen Canadians are to travel again and our winter schedule will provide affordable air travel options to help connect the many families and friends who have been apart for the past year,” says Garth Lund, Chief Commercial Officer. “With fares available from as low as $19 and new aircraft joining the fleet, Flair will continue its expansion into the winter season.”

    https://storage.googleapis.com/flyflair-cms-prod-storage/Route_Map_2021_with_YUL_EN_ed384ca900/Route_Map_2021_with_YUL_EN_ed384ca900.jpg

    Bookings are now available for travel through March 26, 2022.

    https://flyflair.com/where-we-fly

  • Central Mountain Air Releases Summer Flight Schedule

    DSC_7413 (1) (1).jpg

    (SMITHERS, BC May 11, 2021) Central Mountain Air responds to the need to provide air service to communities by adding 78 flights per week. 

    Grande Prairie, High Level and Quesnel added to network.

    Flights per weeks
    8 – Edmonton YEG | Fort St John YXJ
    8 – Edmonton YEG | Grande Prairie YQU
    4 – Edmonton YEG | High Level YOJ
    4 – Edmonton YEG | Prince George YXS
    5 – Edmonton YEG | Fort Nelson YYE
    5 – Edmonton YEG | Terrace YXT
    5 – Kamloops YKA | Prince George YXS
    5 – Kamloops YKA | Fort Nelson YYE
    6 – Kamloops YKA | Fort St John YXJ
    6 – Kamloops YKA | Terrace YXT
    5 – Kelowna YLW | Prince George YXS
    5 – Kelowna YLW | Fort Nelson YYE
    6 – Kelowna YLW | Fort St John YXJ
    6 – Kelowna YLW | Terrace YXT
    4 – Prince George YXS | Fort Nelson YYE
    5 – Prince George YXS | Fort St John YXJ
    5 – Prince George YXS | Terrace YXT
    4 – Prince George YXS | Grande Prairie YQU
    4 – Quesnel YQZ | Castlegar YCG
    6 – Vancouver YVR | Castlegar YCG
    3 – Vancouver YVR | Kamloops YKA
    3 – Vancouver YVR | Kelowna YLW
    5 – Vancouver YVR | Quesnel YQZ
    6 – Vancouver YVR | Prince George YXS
    6 – Vancouver YVR | Edmonton YEG
    6 – Vancouver YVR | Fort Nelson YYE
    7 – Vancouver YVR | Fort St John YXJ
    7 – Vancouver YVR | Terrace YXT

    Central Mountain Air (CMA) announced today that it will increase its scheduled service by 78 flights per week beginning June 28th, 2021, and continuing through to November 6, 2021. Many of these flights will service connections that were originally suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CMA is also expanding the available days of the week on their existing schedule, with an emphasis on new Friday and Sunday flight options.

     “CMA has been contacted by both individuals and community leaders to provide service to enable their communities to recover and receive air connectivity after scheduled service reduced over 80% due to COVID-19. I commend these municipalities and airports for their willingness to partner and support their regions to help make this announcement today,” commented Michael Claeren, Central Mountain Air’s Head of Commercial.  

     “These communities are concerned about their future as they face the prospect of being left without or with limited air service, especially at a time when their regional economies have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding hardship.”  

     Although COVID-19 rates are still high, CMA is optimistic that essential travel guidance will be eased as British Columbia, Alberta, and Canada continue on the road to recovery with more vaccines being administered daily. CMA will still offer a flexible booking and cancellation policy for bookings until June 20th, 2021 for travel through to November 7th, 2021. 

     Bob Cummings, CEO added, “CMA will apply the same operational discipline for which it has a reputation to all the new routes and capacity. This will help nurse communities back to full recovery as the pandemic subsides. While many of the affected regional cities have been impacted by this announcement there are more cities and services to come.”

    CMA is the independent regional airline leader in British Columbia and Alberta with 29 aircraft and looks forward to more fully utilizing that fleet.  

    To celebrate their summer flight schedule launch, CMA is offering 10% off base airfares using promo code SUMMER21.

    The promo code is valid for all scheduled flights starting June 01, 2021 with no blackout periods. This deal is only available on bookings through the CMA website and is not available through your travel agent. CMA has extended its Flexible Booking and Cancellation Policy for bookings until June 20, 2021 for travel through to November 7, 2021 to give you peace of mind when making your booking.  

    Book from May 11, 2021 until May 25, 2021 @ 11:59PM PST 

    For travel between June 01, 2021, and November 6, 2021 

    See CMA’s full schedule at flycma.com/schedule

    About Central Mountain Air Ltd.  

    Established in 1987, CMA is a Western Canadian privately owned and operated company. CMA provides scheduled flights to twelve communities, cargo to ten, and charter flights throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and Western Canada. For more information, and to learn about CMA’s enhanced COVID-19 safety procedures, visit flycma.com. 

  • Minister of Transport introduces new funding programs to support Canada’s airports

    Transport Canada

    OTTAWA, ON, May 11, 2021 /CNW/ – The global COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the air sector in Canada. Airports have been significantly affected, experiencing major decreases in traffic over the past 15 months. Despite these consequences, airports have played a crucial role since the start of the pandemic by continuing to provide essential air services, including traveling to medical appointments, air ambulance services, community resupply, getting goods to market, search and rescue operations, and forest fire response.

    Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, launched two new contribution funding programs to help Canada’s airports recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic:

    • The Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP) is a new program providing close to $490 million to financially assist Canada’s larger airports with investments in critical infrastructure-related to safety, security or connectivity;
    • The Airport Relief Fund (ARF) is a new program providing almost $65 million in financial relief to targeted Canadian airports to help maintain operations.

    In addition to launching these two new funding programs, the Minister announced that Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) is receiving a funding top-up of $186 million over two years. The ACAP is an existing contribution funding program which provides financial assistance to Canada’s local and regional airports for safety-related infrastructure projects and equipment purchases.

    Quote

    “Canada’s airports are major contributors to our country’s economy, and play a key role in sustaining the social and economic well-being of our communities, and our local airport workers. These programs will help ensure that, as Canada works towards recovery and travel restart post pandemic, our airports remain viable and continue to provide Canadians with safe, reliable and efficient travel options, while creating and maintaining good paying jobs in the airport sector.”

    The Honourable Omar Alghabra
    Minister of Transport

    Quick Facts

    • The Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP), the Airport Relief Fund (ARF), and the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) funding top-up and program expansion were originally announced in the Fall Economic Statement in November 2020.
    • The Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP) will distribute $489.6 million in funding over five years to airports for eligible projects such as runway repairs/rehabilitation, airfield lighting enhancements, investments in terminal buildings, and transit stations to ensure connectivity to mass transit systems.
    • On April 15, 2021, the Government of Canada announced a contribution of up to $100 million towards the $600-million project to construct a new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail underground station at the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Federal funding for this project comes from the Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP).
    • The Airport Relief Fund will provide $64.8 million in funding to airports whose 2019 revenues were less than $250 million. The amount of funding to each targeted eligible recipient will be calculated using a tiered formula-based approach, based on 2019 revenues.
    • In addition to the one-time funding top-up of $186 million, eligibility for the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) has been temporarily expanded to allow National Airport System airports with less than one million annual passengers in 2019 (Gander, Charlottetown, Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton, Thunder Bay, London, and Prince George) to apply for funding under the Program in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
    • For 2021-2022, funding has been awarded to 63 airports for 86 ACAP projects, including runway and taxiway repairs/rehabilitation, lighting enhancements, purchasing snow clearing equipment and firefighting vehicles and installing wildlife fencing.

    Related Products

    Associated Link

    Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. 

  • PG Airport Authority looks ahead as Q1 numbers drop as expected

    From CKPG Today – link to source story

    by Caden Fanshaw, Apr 15, 2021

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/socast-superdesk/media/20210415230424/bad326c8-bc51-4525-8243-b561259622b8.png
    CKPG File Image

    PRINCE GEORGE – Passengers are still boarding, and flights are still taking off, but the numbers from the first quarter are “as expected”, down 78% from a year ago.

    CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority, Gordon Duke says there is reason to be optimistic when looking ahead to the future.

    “We’re happy to see Central Mountain Air expanding their routes, Pacific Coastal increasing frequency, Westjet announcing a route to Abbotsford a new destination coming out of this. I think as we see more vaccines go into arms, we will see more domestic travel coming out of this,” says Duke.

    The drop off in traffic has created budget challenges for the Prince George Airport Authority, but provincial funding of $720,000 will help in the short term, paying for maintenance, and other fixed costs that can’t be adjusted.

    Although passenger traffic continues to struggle, the importance of the airport for more than just commercial flights continues to shine according to Duke.

    With the third-longest runway in North America, YXS continues to offer a hub for COVID-19 vaccine delivery, along with a base for wildfire tankers in the summer months.

    The airport saw 7,831 passengers in January, 6,834 passengers in February, and 7,939 passengers in March.