CMA suspends Fort Nelson to Prince George flights

Central Mountain Air is suspending services between Fort Nelson and Prince George, as of February 3rd.

The earliest CMA will reinstate the route is May 3rd. Tuesday’s announcement comes after the airline cancelled services from Prince George to Fort St. John this month.

According to a press release, this is part of three routes the airline suspended yesterday due to “continuing to deal with the crushing economic impact of the pandemic”. No other airline operates these affected routes.

“Devastating declines in travel and extended provincial health advisories against non-essential travel have necessitated a significant scaling back of our scheduled operations for the foreseeable future,” said Bob Cummings, Central Mountain Air’s CEO, in a statement.

“The federal government has been promising for almost a year that help is on the way to support these essential air services, but no such support has been received or clearly outlined. Our customers and the communities we serve are bearing the brunt of this inaction. In addition to supporting the local economies with the transport of essential workers, our airline and its dedicated staff fly customers to medical treatments and transport medical supplies, mail, and other vital cargo.”

Routes from Kamloops to Prince George and Edmonton to High Level will also be suspended in February.

For ten months, CMA tried to gain support for airlines and airports from the federal government. This was while continuing to operate the routes with only one short suspension since the pandemic began.

“The promised necessary financial support has not materialized. At this time, without direct government support to assist in maintaining operations until demand resumes, CMA can no longer continue the provision of these essential air services,” said the release.

The airline encouraged residents to contact their MLA, MP, Premier or the federal Minister of Transport about the importance of air services in their community.