SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Good news continues to arrive at empty Maritime airports this week.
Air Canada tells CTV it plans to resume flight activity in June for Saint John, Fredericton, and Sydney. Air Canada also says it plans to increase the number of flights landing and departing in June from Moncton and Charlottetown.
WestJet made a similar announcement on Tuesday for airports in Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney, and Quebec City.
"It's been a really positive week," says Johanne Gallant, president and CEO of the Fredericton International Airport, which hasn't seen an Air Canada flight since Jan. 23.
It's the same story at Saint John Airport, which hasn't seen an Air Canada flight since Jan. 11.
Greg Hierlihy, the Saint John Airport's interim president and CEO, says the facility is expecting plenty of pent-up traveller demand once flights return.
"Through the WestJet announcement yesterday and what (Premier Blaine Higgs) has said about a target date of opening to the rest of Canada by the end of [June], that gives us a lot of confidence too for the summer time," says Hierlihy.
The local business community says an acceleration in Canada's vaccine rollout, along with recent increases to air travel around the world, is giving more confidence to airline companies.
"The Atlantic Bubble was a key announcement that the region and the area is opening up, it is safe to come here and we're going to open up in phases," says David Duplisea, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce.
Correction:
A previous version of this story quoted Greg Hierlihy as saying Premier Higgs set a target date of opening to the rest of Canada by the end of June. While the quote was accurate, Hierlihy misspoke, and meant to say July. The correct month has been updated in brackets within that quote.
