The premier says the suspension of Air Canada routes to the Sydney airport is devastating for the city and the whole province.
The Tuesday announcement from Air Canada comes after WestJet announced they were suspending their operations at the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport in October.
Stephen McNeil says it’s an issue beyond provincial control.
“It’s my hope that the national government will lay out a program, specific to airlines, to ensure that both of our major carriers, and others, are still here,” he says. “To find our way back to a competitive market when people start travelling again.”
McNeil says the feds need to step in to ensure the airlines can come back, and to protect the integrity of the industry.
Says it is especially important here.
“Atlantic Canada, more than any other place in this country, needs a competitive airline industry. The success that we’ve been able to generate over the last number of years, in terms of economic growth,” he says. “Has been directly related to those sectors.”
McNeil says, if those airlines don’t come back in a competitive way, economic recovery will be delayed for the entire province.
