A collaboration between the Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA), the City of Fort Nelson, and Central Mountain Air has succeeded in reinstating flights from Prince George to Fort Nelson after they were put on hold last month, according to PGAA President and CEO Gordon Duke. Leonora Kneller, Legislative Coordinator for For Nelson confirms the route will return starting Feb. 18th, with 2 flights a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

"We all recognized the value of that service and are really happy that we’re able to work together and collaborate and get that route back," said Duke.

Central Mountain Air announced the suspension in late January prompting concerns from residents who rely on the service for essential travel.

Gordon Duke has been the President and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority since 2019. Photo courtesy of the PGAA.

The good news comes as many in the aviation industry continue to struggle with how best to mitigate revenue loss and loss of travel activity. Duke said of the situation at the Prince George Airport, "we cannot cut back on the services we provide and there are a lot of fixed costs... associated with running an airport."

As a result, the PGAA must rely on financial support from the provincial and federal governments in order to maintain operations. Services like Medevac, the Northern Health Authority, the RCMP, and Forestry Services are all potentially impacted by changes in the airports capacity. As reported by the CBC, residents of remote communities like Fort Nelson would be left with no choice but to spend an additional day of travel by car or bus to reach Prince George. For some en route to Vancouver for medical treatment, this is an uncomfortable and expensive prospect.

The PGAA has been able to take advantage of government wage subsidies to keep workers employed through the pandemic and Duke is grateful for the support of the municipal and provincial level. He does worry, however, about the long term impact of the COVID-19 shut down on the aviation industry should the federal government fail to take "immediate and meaningful action."

"The action that other countries are taking to support their aviation sector, at a time when Canada is, for the most part, not taking strong and meaningful action will lead to a competitive advantage for foreign carriers that could significantly impact the Canadian aviation sector," said Duke.

On a local level, though, he is hopeful for the future.

“I really feel good about the airport here in Prince George. We have a solid team and really good support for the community," he added.

Listen to the interview with Gordon Duke on CFUR-FM: