I think the numbers would be up more if we had more direct flights.Example direct to calgary,cancun, victoria come on prince george airport get with the program!!!!

Not a chance. The only destination Prince George residents have consistently supported is Vancouver.

Calgary was tried and failed. Seattle was tried and failed. Other vacation destinations like Puerto Vallerta and Las Vegas do happen, but only for very short times.

Calgary did not fail loads were at around 75% there was a disagreement between AC and the airport authority that stopped the direct flight

That must have been some disagreement if it continues to this day. It also must have affected Westjet, because they stopped flying there too.

Direct to Fort Mac would make a killing. I think they had it at one point, always packed, but stopped for some reason.

I don’t recall a direct flight to Ft. Mac, unless someone can correct me. Maybe it was a special charter?

The Calgary and Seattle flights failed because the economic meltdown occured at the time and affected the passenger loads. The two routes would be in better shape today if they were available.

This is all about money, plain and simple. If there were enough people prepared to vote with their wallets it would happen. Business will take risks, but in a market like ours, we are a “bit” too small…if we were 100,000 in the city, there would be no question of airlines making the move to put in new flights.

No reward comes with no risk, but clearly the risks are higher than any reward at this point in time.
Ron J Davis

More passenger less flights per year. A good way for the airlines to do business.

Next year we will probably have West Jet using Dash 8’s instead of Jets.

Seems to me that Air Canada discontinued their direct flights to Calgary right after the City gauranteed Horizan Air $400,000.00 for flights to Seattle. Direct subsidized flights to Seattle would take business away from Air Canada’s flights to Vancouver.

There was a meeting held between ex Mayor, Colin Kinsley, and Air Canada, and if memory serves me right, it was right after that meeting that AC announced the cancellation of the Calgary flights.,

Rumour has it that AC asked for a gaurantee of some $800,000.00 per year to continue the flights, using the Horizen Air agreement as an example.,

It’s completely true that more passengers on less flights makes airlines very happy.

That’s why I really don’t see Westjet using their new Q400’s from here to Vancouver.
Every time I fly on Westjet the planes are nearly full. With the 737 as the backbone of their fleet it wouldn’t make sense to switch to a smaller plane and have to do more runs to carry the same amount of passengers.

But as Runner said above it is all about the money. If westjet believes that they can run a smaller plane out of here to Calgary and amke money, they’ll do it. Air Canada’s decision to cut that run was done at a time they were hanging on the brink.
Even the CEO at Calgary Int. said it was a shortsighted decision.

I will say one thing. Being in the parts business it’s easy to see where a good part of the passenger increase is coming from.
I’ve seen more sales reps coming in to town than ever before. Everyone wants a piece of this upswing in the mining industry. me included … :)

Who can forget that $400,000 thrown away by IPG taking PG back a step when it comes to airline connections and setting a horrible precedent for use of property tax dollars.

IMO I’d like to see Philippine Airline get a direct flight from Davao-to PG-to Vegas.

One of the lowest cost safest airlines in the world (likely subsidized with cheep fuel by the Philippine government). Under a $1000 would connect you to anywhere in Southeast Asia where the economies are growing faster than anywhere else in the world. Davao, PG, and Vegas are all regional hubs, or in the case of PG have the potential to one day become a true regional hub.

For Philippine Airlines they can only get access to a single airport at a time in the USA and only fly direct to Los Angeles and another flight that is Manila direct to Vancouver-to-Vegas-back to Vancouver, and direct to Manila. Those are the only slots they can get, and all the flights are booked solid.

For the Filipino’s Vegas is huge because its mostly Filipino’s that work in the Vegas hospitality industry. More flights with a potential for tourist back hauls stopping over in Davao would be hugely attractive to them.

For PG we would have direct flights again to Vegas and the connections on US airlines anywhere in the States… and we wouldn’t need to fill the airplane up only maybe 50-100 passengers a week.

For PG we would also have direct flights to a South East Asian hub (far more valuable potential then a mere Mexican resort). The beaches are nicer, the resorts are quieter, the cost is less than half what it is in Mexico, the people are friendlier and all speak English, and at this point its probably a lot safer too.

With a direct connection to Southeast Asia PG would be on the map for transatlantic flights as a service hub (they need the stop over anyways for fuel), and PG would be well positioned to incubate a cargo hub along with partners in Davao. Davao airport is under utilized with tremendous potential for growth and the longest runway in South East Asia, and direct flights to China, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, and other regional economic power houses. Davao itself has the fastest growing economy of any city in Southeast Asia for the last 3-4 years.

It would be a win-win scenario for both airports. The Philippine government would probably subsidize the route to get the landing rights in North America. If we think the Chinese are our only option to make PG airport an international trans pacific stop over, than we will all likely grown old waiting for that to happen.

The PG airport authority need to think outside the box at and get some creative thinking in how the logistics of setting up a successful air corridor come together from the ends in creating a viable hub. These one off stabs in the dark to dead end destinations will get them nowhere.

I think the people of PG would support a macro plan like the one above.

Hey Eagle, what are you smokin’? Must be some good stuff.

I’m just high on life Johnny… ehrr….