N.B.'s air market needs a makeover
Air Canada's Jazz is the latest air carrier to trim operations in an effort to keep up with the rising cost of fuel. For New Brunswickers, the news is a clarion call to start thinking about a provincial air strategy.
Local airport authorities are struggling to maintain and improve service, at a time when Canadian carriers are scaling back. New approaches are needed at the federal, provincial and local levels - and travellers are frustrated enough to start pushing for them.
When the most affordable (or only available) flights to centres such as Ottawa, New York and London involve flying hours out of the way, it is time to redefine the airline industry.
At the national level, there are calls for changes to policies that ensure Air Canada and WestJet remain the only large players in the Canadian market. New Brunswickers are joining in common cause with other Canadians who want the air market opened up to greater competition.
A federal review panel has advised Parliament to allow foreign airlines to create subsidiaries that operate only in Canada. This practice has helped Australia and New Zealand beat the limitations of their geography. The alternative would be to permit foreign airlines to fly routes with multiple Canadian stops - in effect, treating air service like rail service.
At the provincial level, New Brunswick must create more competitive air facilities.
Twenty years ago, there was talk of creating a single airport in the Sussex area to serve the three largest southern cities. A better option today would be to merge the Fredericton and Saint John airport authorities, then negotiate with the federal government to create a southwest airport close to Canada Forces Base Gagetown, served by a twinned Highway 7.
Situated at approximately equal distance from either city, such an airport would meet the military's need for rapid air transit and offer travellers the service of a larger and busier air terminal.
If nothing is done and fuel prices continue to rise, New Brunswick's municipal airports may go from being under-serviced to being out of service.
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Build a great airport in Sussex, shut down Fredericton and Saint John's airport, and let YVR (based in Vancouver) who owns the Dieppe (Moncton) airport decide if they want to get on board or compete with this new reality.