The Saint John Airport (YSJ) is getting federal funding to help offset some of the impacts of COVID-19.
Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long announced $3.8 million Friday through the Regional Air Transportation Initiative.
Long says the money will help lessen the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You can’t run a business if you don’t have revenue, if you don’t have passengers, if you don’t have people frequenting your airport to shop here, to dine here, to travel out of here,” Long said during the announcement.
The airport saw its revenue numbers drop by $4.9 million in 2020 due mainly to lower passenger numbers.
Flight suspensions and COVID restrictions saw passenger volumes plummet to just over 59,000 from more than 281,000 the year before.
“As we the economy wraps up, we still have significant expenses to pay going forward until we fully recover, so that money will really go toward maintaining our operations and our services,” Greg Hierlihy, interim president and CEO of the airport, said in an interview after the announcement.
RELATED: YSJ Expects ‘Slow And Steady’ Pandemic Recovery
Hierlihy said in May that passenger volumes at the airport are not expected to return to pre-COVID levels until at least 2025.
But just one month after the return of commercial flights at the airport, he said they are off to a promising start.
Air Canada re-launched its Saint John-Montreal service in late June followed by its Saint John-Toronto route several days later.
“The flights that we’ve had have been quite full as we come out of this,” said Hierlihy. “We’re expecting daily service from Air Canada in August.”
Discount carrier Flair Airlines also started service at the Saint John Airport in early July.
A third carrier, PAL Airlines, launched its weekday service between Saint John and Halifax on Friday, just hours after the funding announcement.
“Part of our strategy has always been to add airlines and different options and different routes, so we’re more than thrilled to welcome PAL,” said Hierlihy.
“Halifax is a key hub in our region, so to have a service back connected to Halifax is fantastic.”
Porter Airlines is set to resume its service to the Port City in the fall.
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