Chamber Launches Letter-Writing Campaign To Support Airport

Greater Saint John’s business community is calling on the federal government to help save struggling airports in Atlantic Canada.

The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce has launched a letter-writing campaign encouraging residents to write MPs in support of local airports.

It comes as airports throughout Atlantic Canada struggle financially due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Without assistance from the federal government, it’s going to be a fairly bleak outlook for recovery and growth in our region, ” said David Duplisea, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber, in a news release.

The chamber is lobbying for access to low-to-no interest loans, the elimination of airport rent, and making airports eligible for bilateral infrastructure agreements.

Data from the Atlantic Canada Airports Association shows traffic was down by 96 per cent from April to June with 2.1 million fewer passengers.

The association anticipates a decline of 70 to 80 per cent — or 5.5 million passengers — for the entire year. That translates to a projected revenue loss of $140 million.

In addition to federal help, the chamber is calling on the province to provide more details on when domestic border restrictions will be eliminated. It is also seeking access to funding to restore lost service.

“Access to market has never been more important for growing our economy both from an investment attraction and workforce development perspective,” said Ron Gaudet, the CEO of Economic Development Greater Saint John.

The chamber has also launched business and community surveys to gauge consumer attitude and confidence of how to travel safely in the current environment.