Air access research announced

Kevin Aylward, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, announced today that his department is undertaking detailed analysis into air access to the province.

"Air access remains a critical issue for the province's tourism industry," said the minister. "It is the most time-efficient way of connecting to Canada's main transportation routes and to international travel, both inbound and outbound. We must have efficient, cost-effective and competitive service if the province is to develop its tourism industry to its full potential. Concrete information from the study will be forthcoming in the next several weeks. On this information we can base our strategies for approaching the federal government and individual airlines to improve air access to all parts of Newfoundland and Labrador."

The purpose of this review is to determine, in the swiftly changing environment of the airline industry, how access to the province in 2001 compares to access provided to the province in 2000. Part of the analysis will include an in-depth look at the service provided by Canada 3000, in the wake of its takeover of Royal Airlines and CanJet Airline, and the impact of this on tourism. 

This provincial-level information will complement a national air access study now underway through the Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Tourism, including Minister Aylward, looking at the matter of air access from a "Pan-Canadian" approach. Ministers have agreed that issues relating to air access must be addressed at the federal, rather than the industry level, and that there is a need for a process to bring issues forward to the federal government. Some of the issues include; access to information so that provinces can monitor performance, affordability and service quality, air access to all regions including access to rural areas and gateways to support local tourism economic growth, and competition within, and access to airline services, on a regional, national and international basis, which is critical to improving services for tourists travelling within and to Canada. 

Based on information on airline restructuring and its implications for tourism, minsters have also agreed that the tourism industry needs to make formal submissions to the Government of Canada to directly influence transportation policy. Working groups have been formed and will report to the committee of deputy ministers in the fall of 2001.

Officials of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation are also meeting this week with representatives of the City of St. John's who are undertaking a survey of travel agents and tour operators, as well as putting in place a toll-free comments line, similar to that run by the province in the summer of 2000.

"The difficulties arising from the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines International were inevitable and adjustments to capacity were expected," said Minister Aylward. "While I have some optimism over the future of air service to St. John's, I remain very concerned about other regions of the province. While capacity in St. John's has increased, that of more rural regions seems to have declined, compared with pre-merger levels. We will get the facts on this and put forward solutions that address the needs of all parts of the province."

Media contact: Catherina Kennedy, Communications, (709) 729-0928

2001 06 19                                                                 1:40 p.m.