First Lobster Shipment To China In Months A ‘Good Sign’
MONCTON – The Greater Moncton Romeo Leblanc International Airport is currently down to three Westjet flights a week, due to COVID-19. So when a large cargo freighter jet arrived last week, it brought a feeling of hope.
Airport President and CEO Bernard Leblanc says the flight left Moncton on its way to China with 100 metric tonnes of lobster onboard.
He says it has been a while since the last cargo flight.
“Asia was affected by COVID-19, the same as we have been, so there hasn’t been as big a demand,” he said. “I think the other aspect as well is the availability of live lobsters, so with the season starting in our region, it means a lot more product in our region is available.”
Leblanc says cargo flights shipping lobster tends to be popular at specific times of the year, and this does open up the possibility of more flights out of the Greater Moncton airport.
“Typically, what we see with lobster, it is very seasonal. So it could get busy now, it could slow back down in the summer, and then get a lot more active between October to February time frame,” Leblanc said.
The large cargo plane at the Greater Moncton airport created some excitement.
“Aviation geeks like myself, tend to like to see the big planes coming and going, so it’s definitely a welcome sight,” he said. “For us also, any activity at the airport and revenue is really something we are seeking to try and grow again. So it’s a good sign when these types of things start happening.”
The Greater Moncton Romeo Leblanc International Airport also saw a Sunwing plane land over the weekend.
“With the province opening up for temporary foreign workers, I believe some of the local employers contracted or chartered Sunwing to fly people to the region from Mexico and Jamaica,” he said.
“When they arrive in the province, they are taken to where they will self-isolate for two weeks. Then they can start work that is required of them, whether it be agriculture or seafood processing. One plane arrived last week, and another is expected to come in this week,” Leblanc says.
More flights are exactly what the Greater Moncton airport needs, but there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding when borders will reopen.
Leblanc says the longer they stay closed, the longer the airlines will continue to postpone flights.
Flights out of the airport have currently been reduced to three West Jet flights per week to Toronto.
Leblanc says Air Canada is scheduled to resume service to Montreal or Toronto on June 22nd.
Tara Clow is the news director at 91.9 The Bend, a Huddle content partner.