The pandemic continues to hit the airline industry hard in BC, and YXS (Prince George) is no exception.

The Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA) saw a dramatic decrease of 73% in passenger volume in September when compared to the same month last year.

YXS Passenger Rates 2020 (Photo by PG Airport Authority)

10,902 passengers came through YXS last month, compared to 40,697 in September of 2019.

“We’re seeing some slow recovery,” said Gordon Duke, President and CEO of Prince George Airport Authority.

“In April and May where we were down by 96% but the following months have gotten a little better.”

The PGAA doesn’t foresee much change with the coming months and isn’t planning on seeing numbers similar to the 2019 stats for another 3-5 years.

Duke added, “however when I look around the country at other Canadian Airports, Prince George is hanging in there.”

YXS saw Pacific Coastal Airlines return with non-stop-service to Victoria and Air Canada also added additional Vancouver flights on select days.

The Authority has also brought back a number of seasonal equipment operators in preparation for winter.

“Air travel is getting safer,” reiterated Duke, “as various levels of work is going into making it better for the travelling public.”