Summary
- Quebec’s government decision to reduce on air travel subsidies has led to reduced operations and job layoffs at Pascan Airlines, potentially isolating specific communities.
- Previous attempts by the federal government to spice up tourism through subsidized flights have failed, and most carriers have already recovered or exceeded their pre-pandemic traffic levels.
- Pascan Aviation, the only fixed-based operator at Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport, operates 12 aircraft and serves as much as 10 destinations in Quebec, including Labrador and the Magdalen Islands.
Quebec’s government decision to reduce on air travel subsidy schemes across the French-speaking province has resulted within the Quebecois carrier warning of reduced operations and shedding staff.
This might mean isolated communities turn out to be even cut off, because the carrier would want to axe flights to “certain regions which should not financially viable.”
Photo: Noahthepilot | Wikimedia Commons
The airline was founded in 1999 by Serge Charron, and fast forward to today. The independent regional airline now serves as much as 10 destinations across Quebec, including Baie-Comeau, Bonaventure, Gaspé, Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Mont-Joli, Montréal–Trudeau, Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil, Quebec City, Saguenay, and Sept-Îles, along with Wabush, Labrador, which also serves the neighboring city of Fermont, Quebec.