Increased air connections could help deficit reduction

With Air Canada adding a flight to the daily roster, the city is hopeful that the increased passenger load will help to defray some of the one million dollars in losses the city suffers from running the airport ferry.

Mayor Herb Pond explained how the city had been lobbying hard for Air Canada to add the extra third flight in the high travel months that was recently added to the schedule. A prospect that should help the city work towards making the goal of one day having the airport become revenue neutral again.

With all the talk about transportation to and from the airport, the new general manager of Community Futures. Knut Bjorndal has weighed into the discussion, suggesting that the city work more closely with the local First Nations services to streamline transportation options for all in a more cost effective basis. With the two services losing a combined 2.5 million dollars, Bjorndal said he was willing to help develop a plan that might reduce the red ink of the operations.

The prospect of the always on the horizon fixed link was touched on as well, though it still must surely be more of a wish list item than a time to get to the blueprints project at the moment.

All of those thoughts, as well as the Mayors consultations with Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon were all included in a piece in Monday's Daily News.

Mayor has high hopes as carrier elevates air service
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, April 28, 2008

Pages one and three

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond is hoping an additional Air Canada flight each week to and from Prince Rupert this summer will help take some of the financial sting out of operating the airport ferry.

The city loses close to a million dollars a year operating the service to move travellers to and from the Digby Island airport.

"We have worked really diligently with Air Canada was to get that third flight in place," said Pond.

"One of the problems last year was, once those flights were fully booked, our ability to grow that business was capped. The airlines were making great money but the airport itself was somewhat challenged. We are hopeful the extra frequency will increase passenger numbers," said Pond during a public meeting on the city's finances last week.

Starting March 31, Air Canada began offering a mid-day service in addition to its morning and evening flights.

Pond said increasing airport traffic is one of the ways to make the airport ferry revenue-neutral, which is what it was in the past.

"For what it's worth, in my last meeting with the Transportation Minister and almost every meeting I get with the Transportation Minister, I begin by saying 'you do realize that we are still the only community in B.C. that is paying for access to its airport and we would like to see something done about that,'" said Pond.

"This council has met with the Transportation Minister in the last number of years I don't know how many times to talk about taking on that load and, to date, the ministry simply throws it back at us and into the city's lap."

Knut Bjorndal, general manager of Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest, suggested the city look at working with the neighbouring communities of Lax Kw'alaams and Metlakatla to improve the service. Currently, the harbour is over supplied with ferry operations, he said.

"We should look at some partnerships with the native communities. They've got a ferry that loses $1.25 million and we've got one that loses a million. I would be very happy at Community Futures to look at putting together a plan," Bjorndal said.

Even if, by working together, they only manage to save a few hundred thousand dollars, all three communities would be better off and better served by the improved service.
And this way, the city could take action while it waits on provincial approval for the Tsimshian Access project.

"Any sports magnet will tell you, you don't win games by having home run hitters.

"You win games by hitting singles. That's were we have to come from, take small steps, look at relocating the access to get more people going over there," he said.