New Brunswick Needs Many Airports To Have A Thriving Economy
Larry Shaw CEO at Ignite and Knowledge Park
The Fredericton International Airport is, like other airports in the province, currently experiencing a temporary suspension of commercial flights due to the pandemic. While this is an understandable response to both the reduced revenue felt by major airlines as well as a safety measure to help contain the spread of Covid-19, it has reignited the decades-old conversation, “Does New Brunswick really need multiple airports?” The short answer is yes, it certainly does.
Airports themselves are critical infrastructure from which strategic economic initiatives can be generated and the Fredericton International Airport is no exception. It contributes more than 320 jobs on-site, totaling 662 jobs throughout Western and Central New Brunswick. It generates $4-million in annual taxes, a figure which doubles to $8-million when indirect and induced impact of operations is included.
It has a proven track record of success by demonstrating consistent and prolonged growth over the last 10 years. The region it primarily serves is home to many of our province’s largest employers including McCain Foods, the University of New Brunswick (UNB), and Base Gagetown. And, as a not-for-profit corporation, the revenue it generates gets invested back into the airport and our community.
Inbound business travelers need to fly as close to their destination as possible, and in the Fredericton Region, they can land and be at their endpoint within 30 minutes. This is immensely valuable when showcasing the area’s desirability to international companies. It indicates that New Brunswick is not a remote, unconnected wilderness but instead a bustling and thriving hub of development and opportunity.
It enables businesses to compete on a global scale and in a province that has been called a “have not” province, this level of global connectedness is essential if the hope is to profoundly change that narrative.
“In the short-term, we are adapting like everyone. However, losing commercial flights from the airport long-term would completely change the dynamic of running a global business from Fredericton,” said Adam Harris, Managing Director at C-Therm Technologies Ltd. “The importance of connectivity cannot be overstated. Do we want to be connected to the world and open for trade? Driving two hours to Moncton is not viable for our partners and clients looking to visit.”
An additional level of economic prosperity is the need to provide businesses access to a skilled labour force. A huge component of this is creating a vibrant, cultural location that appeals to a wide range of people.
Newcomers have options when choosing an area to relocate to and will make decisions on whether to move to a specific region based on accessibility. If international travel is an arduous task due to a single-sourced airport, it will lead to a diminished population growth, which in turn creates a shallow talent pool from which businesses can select from.
Ingenuity and innovation are characteristic of people who reside in this region, whether born here or relocated here. We represent a humble slice of the world that continues to punch above its weight class by being global leaders in Information Communications Technology (ICT), Knowledge-Based Industry, and Cybersecurity just to name a few.
“The prospect of no direct flights from YFC, in the post-pandemic environment, will directly undermine the ability of our pioneering team to focus on the realities and challenges of a global market. The ability to connect in person with partners and customers in a timely fashion, domestically or internationally is one of our most important conditions for success,” said Duncan McSporran, Founder and COO at Kognitiv Spark.
“Adding in the additional friction of journeys to or from Moncton will inevitably lead to a reduction in our success and will bring into question the amazingly bright future of the world facing hi-tech community here in Fredericton.”
In the meantime, our community will continue to work hard, ensuring the development of new business opportunities which in turn will create jobs, grow our population, and facilitate economic prosperity. And the Fredericton International Airport needs to be here, ready and waiting to add the most crucial element of all, connectivity to the global world.
Huddle publishes commentaries from groups and individuals on important business issues facing the Maritimes. These commentaries do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Huddle. To submit a commentary for consideration, contact editor Mark Leger: [email protected].