The City of North Bay has implemented a stop-gap measure to prevent the Jack Garland Airport from closing.
City council has approved the transfer of up to $400,000 from capital funds to cover the facility’s day-to-day operations through the summer months.
In mid-April, council heard that the facility, which serves as a regional transportation hub for the surrounding area, was in jeopardy of closing because of the drop in passenger flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coun. Chris Mayne indicated that, at the end of February, the airport was on track to see four per cent growth over last year.
But by the second week of March, two airlines had cancelled roughly 95 per cent of their service to the city.
At the time, the city’s engineering department estimated a loss of up to 80 per cent in revenue because of the cancellations.
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The city suggested the airport could close indefinitely if a solution wasn’t found.
But Mayne suggested even a temporary closure could threaten the airport’s ability to host key service providers.
“The reality is, you would probably lose NAV Canada, who mans the airport tower, the radar stations. Voyageur Airlines would not be able to operate, nor would Helicopters Canada,” said Mayne during a recent council meeting.
“And the recertification process would be onerous, expensive, and we would probably lose a lot of the things that we’re able to enjoy right now under our current certification. So, it is not a recommended choice.”
The city said it would lobby senior levels of government for financial assistance for help over the longer term.
Jack Garland Airport has a 10,000-foot runway and is served by Air Canada, Bearskin Airlines, and Sunwing Airlines.
According to a 2018 study, the airport had a gross domestic benefit of $28 million, Mayne noted.
– With files from BayToday.ca.
