Air travel service to smaller, medium-sized cities on the decline

Air travel service to smaller communities and medium-sized cities is on the decline, pushing up airfares and leaving parts of the country less connected.

Data from aviation data firm Cirium shows flight volume between smaller airports and big cities has dropped drastically over the past five years — especially for short-haul trips — while simultaneously the price has soared.

Scott McFadzean, CEO of London International Airport in Ontario, says the number of daily departures to Toronto plunged from 15 in 2019 to four now after WestJet dropped the route despite ongoing demand.

The Canadian Airports Council says Air Canada direct routes between Halifax and at least four cities in Atlantic Canada, including Fredericton and Charlottetown, did not return after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts attribute the diminished service levels to airlines’ embrace of larger aircraft over smaller turboprop planes as well as a pilot shortage and a dearth of public funding for regional air travel.

Reg Wright, who heads the airport in Gander on the island of Newfoundland, says smaller and remote communities rely on flights for everything from food to firefighting and medical care.