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Now, the same government is potentially writing us off, saying, nah, nothing much here.
The review was prompted by the “persisting reduction” in air traffic in Canada, Nav Canada spokesperson Brian Boudreau told the Star’s Brian Cross. Nav Canada is looking for ways to “align our services and operations with air traffic levels now and in the future.”
What reduction?
More than 383,000 passengers passed through Windsor International Airport last year, the most ever. Airport traffic jumped 300 per cent between 2009 and 2019, 25 per cent in the last three years.
This airport was a perennial money loser, losing $60,000 a month. Now it generates $1 million a year for the city.
So what reduction?
Was he referring to the sharp decline in air traffic during the pandemic, which has grounded a lot of travel? Is this an optimal time to make a decision like this? Would it make sense to wait until the pandemic is over, when travel resumes?
Don’t worry, Garneau said. Nav Canada can always reinstate air traffic control here later.
“Nav Canada can certainly decide to reassess,” he said. “Any decisions that are made during this pandemic can be changed based on circumstances later on.”
How often does a service that is cut get reinstated? Not often. If air traffic control is cut, it will take a major campaign, requiring another study, to get it back. And it won’t happen soon.
This decision will have consequences, Mr. Garneau.
ajarvis@postmedia.com
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