SAINT JOHN, NB — The Saint John Airport has announced new regional air service providing weekday flights between Saint John, Halifax and Bathurst – providing much-needed air connections for New Brunswick travellers.

Quebec-based PASCAN Aviation will launch the new regional service Sept. 9 with two daily return flights Monday to Friday between Saint John and Halifax along with one same-day return flight between Bathurst and Saint John every weekday.

The flights mark the re-establishment of regional air service in New Brunswick after it was halted due to the pandemic.

Saint John Airport President and CEO Alexander (Sandy) Ross calls the new PASCAN service “absolutely critical” to reviving regional air connectivity, adding that it positions the Saint John Airport well for future expansion in the region and connections with other carriers that operate service from Saint John to elsewhere in Canada.

“Prior to 2020, the route between Saint John and Halifax alone supported 24,000 passengers annually and was one of the most viable commercial routes in Atlantic Canada,” Ross says. “This is all about getting back to business as usual.”

Marie Manning, VP Business Development & Chief Commercial Officer at the Halifax International Airport Authority, said: “We welcome the return of regional air service between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This new connection will provide much-needed flexibility and efficiency for those travelling between our communities and will further strengthen our region’s air transportation network.”

Fares start at $445 return and, as of June 1, can be booked through pascan.com or by calling 1-888-313-8777.

PASCAN will use SAAB 340B aircraft that carry about 30 passengers. Ross said the size of the plane is the right fit for regional air travel. He expects the daily routes between northern New Brunswick, Saint John and Halifax will be particularly well-received by the business community.

It will also enable leisure travellers a fast and efficient connection to the world through Halifax and allow New Brunswick families needing medical care in either Saint John or Halifax to have same-day service.

The airport currently offers regular service to Toronto and Montreal via Air Canada and Flair Airlines, and has concluded a successful first year of service to Orlando.

For Bathurst, which has seen regular service dwindle from three flights a day pre-pandemic to four flights per week now, the new PASCAN service is a daily lifeline to major centres, and allows for opportunities for further growth.

“This makes the Bathurst airport sustainable again,” says Jamie Degrace, CEO of the Bathurst Regional Airport. “We’re going to have more options for the travelling public, the business traveller and the rotational worker.”

PASCAN President and CEO Julian Roberts says the new routes in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are a natural fit with the airline’s network of regional routes that include service to points in Quebec and Labrador.

“We’ve been looking at the Maritimes for a while now. We’re very excited about these routes,” Roberts says. “Our plan is to use these initial routes as something of a trampoline to deploy to other underserved or not-served markets in the Maritimes.”