Direct flights to Edmonton from Nanaimo Airport, a service that was launched in December, will be suspended March 5, WestJet has announced.
A casualty of the economic slowdown in Alberta that has been caused by the drop in oil prices, the YCD-YEG service could not be sustained.
“We’re told we are not alone as a number of cities in several western provinces are affected by route cancellations and frequency reductions,” said Mike Hooper, president and CEO of Nanaimo Airport.
In a Jan. 25 media release he noted that WestJet Encore’s twice daily service to Calgary will remain, and Central Island residents will be able to continue to fly to Edmonton via connections in Calgary or Vancouver.
Hooper urged air travelers who want to see the Edmonton route re-instated first in Nanaimo, when Alberta’s economy improves, to participate in a ‘show your love’ for Edmonton campaign.
The campaign encourages Central Island Residents to share the strong connection and commitment they have to Edmonton and ‘why this route is important.’
“We understand it’s the right business decision for WestJet,” says Hooper. “So we need to use the time that’s left to ensure when the economy picks up, YCD-YEG is one of the first routes to be reinstated,” he said.
The campaign asks Central Island residents to share stories, display an icon on social media, and ‘accelerate’ travel plans on the YCD-YEG run before it is suspended March 5 to show support.
There’s more information about the ‘Show Your Love’ campaign at Showyourlove.NanaimoAirport.com