PRINCE GEORGE AIRPORT AUTHORITY COVID-19: UPDATE SEVEN
Prince George, BC – Three times the amount of people travelled through the Prince George Airport (YXS) in July, compared to June continuing a trend of a gradual recovery. 9,707 passengers came through YXS, compared to 39,146 in July of 2019, a difference of -75%. Passenger numbers for the months of April and May were down 96%, while June saw a decrease of 91% when compared to 2019.
“This increase is a sign that the safety protocols being implemented by our airport and others is leading to an increased confidence in travellers ” says President and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA), Gordon Duke. “I wanted to see first hand how the travel experience has changed, so I recently took a day trip to Fort St. John on Central Mountain Air. I felt very safe and taken care of throughout all portions of the process. The airplane smelled incredibly clean and every passenger respected the mandatory mask rule from start to finish.”
To educate the public on what travel looks like now, the PGAA has put together a video showcasing the new processes. It can be found on our website: www.pgairport.ca.
August numbers should show a continued recovery as Flair Airlines starts flying a 737-800 on Sunday with flights to Edmonton and Vancouver.
Come September, WestJet will be operating three flights a day Monday-Friday, two on Saturdays and one on Sunday to Vancouver (YVR) and Air Canada will be flying to YVR two times a day, seven days a week. Central Mountain Air is operating flights three days a week to Kamloops, Kelowna, Terrace/Kitimat and Fort St. John. On select days they are offering one stop service to Calgary and Vancouver. Come September 14th, they will be adding direct flights to Edmonton and Fort Nelson.
A reminder that masks are mandatory at YXS and only employees and passengers with a valid ticket, unless a traveller requires assistance, are permitted inside the terminal. Short term parking fees have been eliminated if you stay with your vehicle.