A new report paints a concerning picture of regional air service across Canada, revealing a significant downward trend in flight frequency at regional airports.
The report, titled “Keeping Canada Connected: The Challenge of Regional Air Service and Federal Policy,” indicates a staggering 36 per cent decrease in flight frequency since 2014.
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) commissioned study, which assessed 51 regional airports nationwide, also highlighted a 10 per cent drop in domestic connectivity and a 14 per cent decrease in overall flight frequencies, encompassing both international and domestic routes from 2019 to 2024.
Regions like Alberta, Manitoba and parts of Atlantic Canada are experiencing the most severe impacts.
Elizabeth Brown, president and CEO of Victoria Airport Authority, while noting that Vancouver and Victoria have largely avoided this decline, emphasized the national implications of the findings.
"The system has seen a reduction in regional connectivity, which hurts small airports across the country with their inability to connect to our major hubs and their inability to have people coming to see them for reasons of business or health, or tourism," she stated.
Despite the challenges, Victoria International Airport is experiencing positive growth, tracking passenger levels above 2024 figures.
Brown attributes this success to the vital support of regional carriers like Harbour Air and Pacific Coastal, who are maintaining connectivity to Victoria.
"This has been working well for us, but we cannot lose sight that we have northern communities, Indigenous communities that need to be connected to our major cities here in the province and ensuring that they have those air services as well," she explained.
Brown also stressed the importance of maintaining connectivity between the capital and major hubs like Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, highlighting their crucial role in connecting the capital region to a wider network of destinations.
"When we see a decline in that kind of service, it can be very significant for a community like Victoria," she said.
CAC is using this report to advocate for increased support for regional airports, particularly with the arrival of a new government and transport minister.
Monette Pasher, president of CAC, underscored the vital role of regional air service in inter-provincial trade, economic growth and everyday life.
"It's more than business – it connects Canadians to health care, education, trade and economic opportunities," Pasher said. "We need to work together to create the framework of support that is required to build our nation and connect Canadians in all corners of our country."
The report proposes several policy recommendations, including the establishment of an Essential Air Service program and increased investment in airport infrastructure.
It also highlights that a single regional route operating daily can generate over 125 jobs and create an economic impact of $40 million annually.
The CAC is urging federal and provincial governments to take swift action, pointing out that Canada lags significantly behind peer countries in airport infrastructure investment.
The U.S., for instance, has invested 8.5 times more per capita in airport infrastructure than Canada since 1995.
"The question isn’t whether we can afford to support regional air service, it’s whether we can afford not to," Pasher concluded. "A connected Canada is a competitive, equitable and united Canada."
The CAC is actively engaged in discussions at its annual gathering in Quebec this week to address these challenges and advocate for stronger regional air service across the country.
