Airport looks to expand after PAL airlines pullout delivers a 'major blow'
The last PAL airline flight left Charlo Airport in northern New Brunswick on Tuesday, dealing a "major blow" to the airport and to workers who relied on a convenient direct route to jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador.
St. John's-based PAL Airlines had been flying two flights a week out of Charlo Airport since 2013.
Earlier this month, on Dec. 10, PAL notified the Charlo Airport Authority that it was withdrawing those flights, with the last commercial flight between Charlo and Wabush on Dec. 29. PAL flights to Wabush, in western Labrador, will now leave from the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport.
The Charlo Airport Authority responded later with a statement that the decision was a significant setback, both for residents who depended on the airline and for the airport itself. All commercial flight services offered by PAL Airlines were also discontinued.
"This is a major blow to the Charlo's airport given that, despite the pandemic, the airport has seen an increase in air movements compared to 2019," the authority said.
On Tuesday, the day the last flight departed, Charlo Mayor Denis McIntyre said the announcement was "sad new for us."
Many northern New Brunswick workers in the construction and mining industry depended on PAL's regular flights to get to jobs in Newfoundland and back home again, McIntyre said. The airport is a drive of about 77 kilometres northwest from Bathurst and about 32 kilometres east from Campbellton.
"A lot of workers from Restigouche, Bathurst and other areas came to Charlo to fly out," McIntyre said in an interview Tuesday night. "Now they have to travel two to three hours to get to the [Moncton] airport, and the flight times there don't always line up for them."
McIntyre acknowledged it's "been a tough year" for all airports because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I hope things will change with the vaccine coming out," he said. "I hope they'll come back to Charlo."
Charlo Airport saw growth in 2020
Brad Mann, who sits on the Restigouche Regional Service Commission and on Charlo Airport's board of directors, said the airport is looking forward and hoping to expand more flights for some of the other companies.
"We've got four different companies that are talking to us," Mann said in an interview with CBC News on Tuesday. "Of course, I wouldn't reveal names or sources … but we're quite confident that we'll be fine."
Mann said that although the airport has dealt with PAL for years, it was no secret this has been a tough year for airlines, and "I never like to put our eggs all in one basket."
"That's why we expanded out and entertained some other airlines coming in. You never like to lose any business, but it's two flights a week and over the last year they've been down 63 per cent on their flights. So it's good that we reached out and we have some other business as right up to today."
Charlo Airport is one of the few in Atlantic Canada that experienced growth in 2020, with traffic up six per cent year-to-date, Mann said.
Asked how the airport has managed this in the midst of a pandemic, Mann cited several factors, including an "exceptional staff," an ability to service many plane sizes, "one of the better runways" and a good location.
"The best way in and out of northern New Brunswick is with Charlo. We're right next to the Quebec border, which seems to be a big, big plus for us with that location," he said.
Still, he conceded, the PAL pullout has upset many northern New Brunswickers.
"There are a lot of workers working in Wabush and a lot of them are from our area," Mann said. "They have made it known that they're not happy with PAL's decision. So they'll be reaching out to other airlines."
