FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The North Peace Regional Airport has relaxed its mask restrictions, with masks no longer required in public areas of the terminal.
Managing Director of YXJ, Mike Karsseboom, says public areas include check-in spaces, the restaurant, and the baggage claim.
He adds that masks are still required once passengers prepare to go through security as that area is federally regulated.
“As soon as you step in that line to go through security to get onto your aircraft, you will need to have that mask on,” Karsseboom said.
Karsseboom says the airport has seen an increase in travellers in recent months.
“We’ve seen a steady increase probably since November in passenger numbers, which is great for us to see,” Karsseboom said.
“We had a very strong December, January, and February. Not as strong as December, as you would expect, but still strong comparatively speaking.”
Karsseboom says he’s not sure what the month of March will look like concerning passenger numbers but feels confident going forward.
“It’s really hard to tell how March will turn out, but the terminal certainly has felt busier consistently over March. That doesn’t always relate to stronger passenger numbers, but we’re hopeful,” Karsseboom said.
“On the 1st of April, with the elimination of the pre-entry COVID-19 test back into Canada, I think we’ll start to see a lot more travel to the United States and those sort of things, which I think a lot of people are waiting for,” he added.
Karesseboom says the airport plans for a much better year than 2021 and that easing of mask mandates combined with the upcoming elimination of pre-arrival tests are both positive signs.
