Charlottetown Airport looks ahead to strong summer despite tense Canada-U.S. tensions

CBC

06-05-2025

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Charlottetown Airport is preparing for what it expects will be a strong summer travel season even as relations between Canada and the United States remain strained.
Tensions have been rising the past few months between the two countries, with U.S. President Donald Trump making repeated threats to impose heavy tariffs on Canadian imports and musing about annexing Canada as the 51st U.S. state.
At the same time, there are reports of foreigners, including Canadians, being held up at the U.S. border as officials strengthen security following Trump's pledge to crack down on immigration.
These developments have caused many Canadians to reconsider going to the United States.
But Charlottetown Airport Authority CEO Doug Newson said there's a silver lining to the current situation.
"We heard today from Porter, they're seeing an impact on short-term bookings to the U.S., so [they] and other carriers are redeploying their aircraft and capacity to Canada," Newson said Tuesday after the airport authority's annual public meeting, which included representatives from Porter Airlines.
"Flair and Porter are both great examples of that, where we're seeing additional flights this summer that we weren't expecting."
Flair Airlines, which had dropped Prince Edward Island from its routes when it announced its 2025 schedule late last year, will be back on the tarmac at Charlottetown Airport this summer, in part because the airline is projecting lower demand for flights to the United States.
Porter Airlines is also adding a new direct route between Charlottetown and Toronto this summer, on top of its existing year-round service between P.E.I.'s capital city and Ottawa, which offers up to two flights daily.
"There's still lots of uncertainty in our industry, but we're still very optimistic that, you know, it'll be a strong summer," Newson said.
Charlottetown Airport saw another record-breaking year in 2024, with 410,773 passengers passing through — a 2 per cent increase over 2023, which itself set a new record.
The P.E.I. airport is the only one in Atlantic Canada that has gotten back to pre-pandemic levels, Newson said.
Major expansion, passenger experience upgrades
Looking ahead, the airport has several major projects underway, including a $40-million terminal expansion to accommodate the growing number of passengers.
Newson said Phase 1B of the terminal expansion is set to wrap up later this year, while design work for Phases 2 and 3 is nearing completion. The entire expansion is expected to finish by 2027.
Beyond construction, the airport is also investing in improvements to the passenger experience.
"We've invested in a new experience excellence program for our tenants and our staff to provide that level of service that people expect when they come through the airport," Newson said.
"We're putting in a new parking system this summer. We brought back our therapy dogs — just little things like that we're always trying to improve on, so that when people do come through the airport... they can have a great experience and want to use YYG in the future."
There's still lots of uncertainty in our industry, but we're still very optimistic that it'll be a strong summer. — Doug Newson
The airport authority has also launched a new five-year accessibility plan, developed in consultation with local community groups, with annual reports planned to track progress.
This week, the airport is rolling out the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program.
"People that might have a hidden disability that may need more time or a little bit of patience from staff, they can get a lanyard, and so staff will recognize that they're part of this program," the CEO said.