Cape Breton Will Lose All Air Connectivity After Air Canada Pulls Flights
SYDNEY—Air Canada is eliminating its final remaining flight from the J.A Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport, effective January 11.
Mike MacKinnon, the CEO of the airport, announced Dec. 8 that Air Canada’s flight to Toronto will be cut next year, and that Air Canada’s Jazz aviation station will be closed until further notice. Another Air Canada flight, from Sydney to Halfiax, that had been suspended until February will also be eliminated “indefinately.”
The news means all commercial flights to and from the Sydney airport will be gone as of January 11.
“This is a massive blow, absolutely catastrophic to Cape Breton Island,” MacKinnon said in a news release. “Our airport has been repeatedly slashed by air service cuts ever since the pandemic began and now this announcement, on top of the recent WestJet route suspensions, is effectively the final nail in the coffin for air service to [and] from our community for the foreseeable future.”
RELATED: WestJet Axes nearly All Atlantic Canadian Flights
Before the Covid-19 pandemic decimated the airline industry, Sydney was served by both Air Canada and WestJet, with service to Halifax, Toronto, and seasonally to Montreal.
“Without the airlines operating the airport itself is really unsustainable long-term,” MacKinnon told Huddle Dec. 8.
However, once the last commercial flight is finished the airport will stay open to so its available for medivac and cargo flights. But since those don’t generate revenue “in any meaningful way” for the airport, things look bleak.
Prior to Covid-19, the J.A Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport and its associated services directly supported about 140 jobs. MacKinnon said 65 percent of those jobs have so far been cut. He guesses that by the time Air Canada completely pulls out 85 percent will be gone.
“Operations will be shut down in many areas but we’ll still be open and supporting the small bit of activity that’s required to support the community,” MacKinnon said.
MacKinnon said he’s “holding onto a glimmer a hope” that the Sydney airport will get back up and running again after winter hibernation, but said that “will take a coordinated approach with help from our province to implement testing and financial support from the federal government for our airline partners.”
He also called out the federal government for not acting fast enough to support the airline industry in Canada. Last month, the federal government said it was planning help for the industry. On Nov. 30, the feds again promised help for regional airports as part of their fall economic statement.
However, MacKinnon said airports like Sydney have so far heard nothing about if or when that support is coming.
“It’s time for the government to put on your big boy pants and let’s get out of the politics of these issues and sit down and figure out the way we solve the problems that are right now killing an industry,” he said.
“Our industry’s in trouble, serious trouble, and I’m not sure that everyone really understand that. It is not easy to restart air serivce; to get [back] people who have lost their jobs and moved on to different careers… you can’t replace some of those skillset quickly.”
MacKinnon said with airlines drastically reducing their capacities, smaller markets like Sydney will get passed over for “bigger, healthier routes,” and may not see service return for a considerable time.
Meanwhile, MacKinnon said the airport management team and board of directors will continue to work on recovery strategies to restore operations.
The cuts in Cape Breton cuts are just two of several Atlantic Canadian flights Air Canada eliminated today. The airline also pulled completely out of Saint John, and elminated routes in Halifax, Deer Lake, Charlottetown, and Fredericton.
RELATED: Air Canada Suspending All Flights To Saint John Starting January 11.
Trevor Nichols is a reporter for Huddle in Halifax. Send him an e-mail with your story suggestions: [email protected].