SYDNEY, N.S. — Anyone hoping to fly home for Christmas within Nova Scotia better make other plans.
Mike MacKinnon, CEO of J.A. McCurdy Sydney Airport, said Air Canada has notified them that the suspension of the inter-provincial flight from Sydney to Halifax from Nov. 2-Nov. 30 has been extended with the flight now cut until Jan 10, 2021.
“There will be no ability to travel by air between the two largest cities in Nova Scotia over the holiday season and we are in the same bubble. It is very disappointing,” MacKinnon said.
“I was disappointed because my expectation was the federal government and Air Canada were going to meet this week and discuss relief programs so I thought they should wait at least until those talks took place.”
MacKinnon said seeing the airline carrier cancel service for a traditionally busy month does cause concern about the future of this service.
“Yes, it does not bode well,” he said. “The holiday peak from Dec. 15 until Jan. 10 is usually quite busy but of course nothing has been normal since March when this began.”
Now, MacKinnon said there is fear the loss could end up permanent at some point. He said when you lose a route like the Halifax-Sydney route which has been operating for 78 years, it shows the magnitude of impact the pandemic has had and will continue to have on the industry for years to come.
“That is why it is crucial for the federal government to step up and help the industry and provincially we should be looking at rapid testing as a tool to help reduce the 14-day quarantine so that people can travel safely.”
In October, WestJet announced suspending services out of Sydney as of Nov. 2.
Currently, the Sydney airport is down to an Air Canada Sydney to Toronto flight five times a week, departing at 5:25 a.m. and returning to Sydney just after midnight.
“That is our only flight anywhere right now,” MacKinnon said. “It is crucial to our airport.”
However, whether that could change as well is also a concern to airport officials.
Air Canada already indicated during their Q3 results news release that they have 95 air routes and nine stations in Canada on their list for closure and they are just waiting to see how the talks with the federal government go regarding an industry relief program.
“Air service from Sydney is hanging by a thread, we need action, not words right now and I call upon the minister and the airlines to immediately engage in meaningful discussions in order to avoid more air service cuts that will result in more damage to our community,” MacKinnon said.
MacKinnon said he doesn’t know what’s taking our country so long to react to this industry crisis. Worldwide, airlines and airports have been supported by governments because they understand the crucial role aviation plays in their economies.
"The holiday peak from Dec. 15 until Jan. 10 is usually quite busy but of course nothing has been normal since March when this began." — Sydney airport CEO Mike MacKinnon
Beyond immediate federal support, MacKinnon said we need our province to look at ways to safely allow air travel through rapid testing.
“We want to welcome fellow Canadians safely to our region and a rapid testing pilot is a tool that should be evaluated as a way to possibly reduce quarantine measures and still keep the public safe,” he said. “It could mitigate the issues around our reliance on the honour system for isolation in place now.”
MacKinnon hasn’t seen any glimmer of hope for the industry yet but said the news on vaccine testing lately is positive.
“That could be a step in the right direction, but it will take a long time.”
Air Canada spokesperson Pascale Dery confirmed the temporary suspension of the Sydney-Halifax route has been extended until Jan. 10. In an email response to questions, Dery said their schedule continues to be adjusted to reflect the reality of significantly reduced travel due to the ongoing restrictions. The schedule online was being updated Wednesday to reflect these changes.
Dery said whether or not the suspension of the inter-provincial route could be extended again in January will depend on the restrictions in place and the level of demand.
“We continue to review and adjust the schedule as required,” he added.
Tamera Levine-MacNeil, originally of Halifax and now of Mira, has spoken out on social media of her dismay at these cuts. On Wednesday, Levine-MacNeil said she understands with a pandemic the airlines really don’t have a choice as people are actually encouraged not to travel at this time, but it’s hurting people like her who work in retail and have to travel to survive.
“I’m worried about the economic impact on our island,” she said. “Even after COVID is gone it will take a long time for people to have confidence in flying again so the airlines will not resume service. The government has to step up and help here or the long-term effects may be irreversible.”
