
The Quebec governing administration claimed Tuesday it will cap the cost of airplane tickets for all vacation within the province to the areas, as a way to raise tourism to rural locations located far from the large metropolitan areas.

Setting up June 1, anyone — residents and website visitors — travelling inside of Quebec will not likely have to spend much more than $500 out of pocket for spherical-excursion tickets to areas this kind of as the Gaspe peninsula, Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel instructed reporters.

Talking at the Mont-Joli Regional Airport, about 570 kilometres northeast of Montreal, in the decreased St-Lawrence region, Bonnardel reported the $500 cap on ticket costs also applies to visits that call for connecting flights. The low cost, he extra, will be applied at the time of acquire and airlines will be demanded to claim the variation in price from the government.

Questioned whether airlines would be incentivized to improve their price ranges because the government is subsidizing tickets, Bonnardel stated selling prices would be “negotiated yearly” according to the expense of inflation. The government’s regional air transport strategy, he mentioned, is funded with $261 million over 5 many years.

All Canadian carriers can participate in the program but will have to serve places calendar year-round to qualify for the subsidy. For instance, Bonnardel stated, Air Canada flights to the Iles-de-la-Madeleine would not be sponsored mainly because the airline at present presents that route in the summer months only.

The Transport Division did not specify how normally a carrier has to fly to a spot for the route to be regarded year-spherical.

Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx instructed reporters that the flight subsidy program opens new prospects for Quebecers to explore their province, especially the areas that have difficulty attracting tourism.

The opposition Parti Quebecois, in the meantime, was skeptical of the government’s approach and lifted queries about the selling price of a person-way tickets and how taxes would be utilized in gentle of the lower price. PQ transportation critic Joel Arseneau also questioned the apparent deficiency of ailments for airways, other than supplying 12 months-spherical flights.

“The frequency (of flights) that will be offered … will that change? Will the seating potential increase according to desire?” Arseneau informed a information meeting.

Man Caron, mayor of Rimouski, Que., who is also section of the union of Quebec municipalities, welcomed the new system, noting that his affiliation has extensive identified as on the govt to subsidize flights to the locations.

The affiliation that signifies chambers of commerce across the province said it was delighted with the subsidy announcement but the federal government requirements to make certain the routes keep on being profitable for regional airlines that take part. The Federation des chambres de commerce du Quebec stated in a news release that due to the vastness of Quebec’s territory, air journey stays the most productive option but the prices are often substantial.

“What carriers want and need is quantity in their aircraft,” association president Charles Milliard explained. “If they could lessen their charges by themselves without having working at a reduction they would do so, but regrettably, this is not feasible presented the reality of the current market.

“This is why authorities intervention is needed so that Quebecers are far more encouraged to use regional air transport to access major centres or achieve remote areas.”

— This report by The Canadian Press was initial published April 19, 2022.

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— This tale was manufactured with the economical help of the Meta and Canadian Push Information Fellowship.
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