Air Canada expands cargo network with expansion to Halifax Stanfield International Airport

Thousands of pounds of lobster and other seafood products were loaded onto an Air Canada Boeing 767 cargo plane and shipped to Toronto Wednesday.

From Toronto, the products will be shipped to other marketplaces around the globe.

"The seafood we are shipping today will likely be on menu items tonight or tomorrow," said Jason Berry, the vice president of cargo at Air Canada.

It was the first air cargo shipment out of Halifax Stanfield International airport as part of Air Canada's expanded freighter air service.

It's the aviation company’s first cargo expansion into a Canadian market outside of Toronto and its being seen as a chance to take Nova Scotia products to new markets worldwide.

"There will be six flights a week, bringing in 650 tons of import and export capacity," said Berry. "Atlantic Canada's economy has experienced important growth in the last few years, with increased demand from North America, Europe, and beyond."

Beginning in May, Air Canada cargo flights will fly directly from Halifax and land in European markets like Frankfurt, Cologne, Istanbul, and Madrid.

Premier Tim Houston says connecting to global markets by way of Halifax will not only help grow the local economy but also help attract more businesses to the region.

"In terms of business attraction and business development, this is growth," said Houston. "There are opportunities for businesses to grow and it sends a message to them, that they’ll be able to get their products to their customers."

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic all but halted air passenger travel, the air freight business saw a boom said Joyce Carter, the president and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority.

"What the pandemic did was shine a light on the importance of getting things like PPE, masks, and eventually vaccines into Nova Scotia but as well, it really showed us the value of Nova Scotia products," said Carter.

Especially seafood products, like lobster that can reach new markets with the expanded connectivity to new markets which Air Canada is providing.

"We’ve done well in certain markets," said Houston. "But we need to diversify and get our product to other markets and let people see and taste what we have to offer."