Disappointed with Air Canada’s decision to abandon the Montréal – Îles-de-la-Madeleine route outside of the summer season, the mayor of the archipelago believes that it is high time to put the airline down.
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After announcing the suspension of several of its regional routes, the airline adds that it will reduce the supply to the Magdalen Islands.
Flights to the archipelago from Quebec City are now suspended indefinitely, and only the Montreal – Les-Îles route will remain seasonal until September 7.
Hurry up
“We are asking both levels of government to take this very seriously. It is no longer time to say “we are going to have a meeting and we are going to ask Air Canada to speak to us”. It’s time we demand, ”said Jonathan Lapierre, mayor of the Magdalen Islands.
“We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Air Canada. I think we have a say. It is time that we put them in step. […] The solution is very simple: regional air transport does not pay. It never has been and never will be. “
According to him, the Quebec government must invest to allow the private sector to find a financial balance in order to offer an air service allowing regular flights at a competitive price.
Uncertainty
Air Canada’s decision creates a lot of uncertainty, which is detrimental to the economic development of the Islands, he added.
Already, travelers who had planned to go there in September have canceled their stay, reported Mario Durand, owner of the L’Archipel motel in L’Étang-du-Nord.
Photo courtesy
Mario Durand and his spouse, Danielle Gagné, who own the L’Archipel motel in L’Étang-du-Nord, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, are starting to suffer the consequences of the abolition of Air Canada flights .
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“It is very deplorable. It is sure that if the flights are not replaced, it will not be terrible, “he said.
In addition to the consequences for the tourism industry, Air Canada’s decision also affects several essential goods, such as drugs, which arrive by air.
Prime Minister François Legault said he was open to subsidizing an airline to offer routes abandoned this week by Air Canada on Friday.
“Because, for me, it is an essential service to have transportation in all regions of Quebec,” he said in a press conference from Chelsea, in the Outaouais region, where he met with health authorities. of the region.
François Legault explained that his government is currently in discussions with “all the airlines that are interested in serving the regions of Quebec”, in order to examine which offers the best offer.
—With the collaboration of Vincent Larin, Agence QMI
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