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October 13, 2010

New Long-Term Strategy Aims for Greater Air Access in Province

A new five-year Provincial Government strategy aims to enhance Newfoundland and Labrador's air transportation access by working collaboratively with airports and other partners in supporting their efforts to attract new flights and spur demand.

The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Business, today released Taking Flight: An Air Access Strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador , which will guide the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's direction, in concert with key industry and community partners, to enhancing air service capacity in the province.

"Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be a hub of economic activity and a magnet for investment and people, and with growth comes greater demand for transportation access," said Minister Wiseman. "Our government committed to exploring opportunities that would encourage increased air capacity with more direct and frequent flights in the province. Through this Air Access Strategy, we are demonstrating a long-term commitment to enhancing air access, with a vision of providing more people with more choice for air travel to, from and within Newfoundland and Labrador."

A total of $5 million is committed over the first three years of the strategy, which contains five strategic goals for improving air access. The goals are:

   1.  Proactively promoting Newfoundland and Labrador to the airline industry;
   2.  Branding Newfoundland and Labrador for business and tourism;
   3.  Fostering a culture of partnership and collaboration;
   4.  Supporting a more attractive business environment for airlines; and,
   5.  Dedicating resources to implement Taking Flight.

Related to these goals are five objectives and 15 action items which are summarized in the Backgrounder below.

Taking Flight promotes more dialogue and collaboration among the province's airports, the business community and other stakeholders towards achieving shared objectives and ultimately increasing demand. To help get the message out that airports in Newfoundland and Labrador are open for business, the Provincial Government will support and partner with regional airport authorities to actively promote their capabilities and the province directly to airlines. The strategy also puts emphasis on continuing to brand and market Newfoundland and Labrador as a destination of choice for business and tourism.

"Providing sufficient, quality air access to the province is essential to the future growth of tourism, as noted in Uncommon Potential — A Vision for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism," said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. "Travellers want the ability to book the seat of their choice, on the dates of their choice, and at prices that are reasonable. Increased, direct access to our domestic markets — and emerging markets in the United States, UK and the rest of Europe — is also critical to ensuring the province remains competitive in the global tourism marketplace."

A key component of Taking Flight is the establishment of a new Air Access Development Program. Under the program, more than $4 million will be available to airlines and the province's airports to support their business development and route promotion activities. A private industry advisory committee consisting of representatives of regional airports, business associations and other groups will be established to provide ongoing input into implementation of the strategy as part of a focused, coordinated approach to air access development.

To help implement and oversee Taking Flight, a Director of Air Access will be hired. The person in this newly created role will also be responsible for industry research and support, administering the Air Access Development Program, providing advice to the Provincial Government on air access related issues and regularly reporting on the progress of the strategy.

Taking Flight was developed following the release of an air transportation study conducted for the Provincial Government by Atlantis Aviation Consulting, as well as consultation with industry and other stakeholder groups. Many of the strategy initiatives are directly in line with recommendations from those stakeholders and the consultant's report.

As highlighted in Budget 2010: The Right Investments — For Our Children and Our Future , the air access strategy supports the Williams Government's continuing commitment to creating conditions that foster growth of Newfoundland and Labrador's economy.

"Air access affects not only our economic competitiveness but also our quality of life," said Minister Wiseman. "This strategy represents another in a growing list of investments by our government that is targeted for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, today and into the future."

Taking Flight: An Air Access Strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador can be found at www.business.gov.nl.ca

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Media contacts:

Luke Joyce
Director of Communications
Department of Business
709-729-7628, 725-4165
lukejoyce@gov.nl.ca
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709-729-0928, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Overview of Taking Flight: An Air Access Strategy
for Newfoundland and Labrador

Taking Flight contains five strategic goals for improving air access in Newfoundland and Labrador: proactively promoting Newfoundland and Labrador to the airline industry; branding Newfoundland and Labrador for business and tourism; fostering a culture of partnership and collaboration; supporting a more attractive business environment for airlines; and, dedicating resources to implement the strategy.

Based on these goals, the strategy has a number of stated objectives and sets out 15 associated action items for the Provincial Government and its partners to undertake.

OBJECTIVE: To "get the message out" that Newfoundland and Labrador airports are open for business
1. Partnering with airport authorities to directly promote regional and provincial capabilities and strategic advantages to airlines.
2. Partnering with airport authorities to identify and pursue route opportunities with airlines wishing to benefit from air liberalization and gateway trends.
3. Supporting the efforts of airport authorities in demonstrating a viable business case for presentation to potential airline partners.

OBJECTIVE: To support efforts to increase demand for air travel to Newfoundland and Labrador
4. Continuing to build a tourism brand for Newfoundland and Labrador in national and international markets.
5. Marketing Newfoundland and Labrador nationally and internationally as a location for new business development.
6. Marketing Newfoundland and Labrador as a strategic corridor to the North.

OBJECTIVE: To strengthen the province's overall approach to air route development by forming strategic partnerships and alliances
7. Increasing dialogue with airport authorities, the business community, the aviation industry, and government.
8. Partnering with stakeholders to generate solid business case scenarios for enhanced air access and viable new routes to Newfoundland and Labrador.

9. Partnering with stakeholders to demonstrate universal support for airlines establishing new routes to Newfoundland and Labrador.
10. Coordinating with desired destination cities and airports to jointly promote route development between locations to potential airline partners.

OBJECTIVE: To strengthen programs and services to support airline industry growth
11. Proactively working with local business to support expansion.
12. Lobbying the Government of Canada to reduce federal costs associated with the delivery of airport services.
13. Launching an Air Access Development Program to encourage new routes.

OBJECTIVE: To support a focused and coordinated approach to air service development within Newfoundland and Labrador
14. Dedicating human resources to oversee strategy implementation.
15. Establishing a private industry advisory committee.

2010 10 13                                                     11:10 a.m.
 


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