The number of passengers seen at the Prince George Airport has been growing over the past three months.
January saw 19,370 flyers, and that number rose to 20,559 in February, which jumped to 27,503 in March.
Gord Duke with the Prince George Airport Authority noted that we are still a ways off from pre-pandemic levels, but things are looking positive.
“I would say we’re on the right trajectory for sure. I think we’re a long way from normal, but it’s certainly encouraging to see those numbers.”
“When I look at the three years before covid, 2017, 2018, and 2019, this airport averaged around 500,000 passengers a year, so around 40,000 passengers a month.”
Duke added that compared to last year’s Q1 numbers, we are way ahead, noting that it’s an almost 300% increase.
He said it would still take some time before we see those bigger numbers again though.
“I think the projection would be around 2024 or 2025 before we get back to those pre-covid numbers.”
Both WestJet and Air Canada have announced that they will be increasing the frequency of their flights this summer as well, and Flair Airlines announced a seasonal nonstop flight to Tucson.
Duke noted that COVID-19 has made flying a bit more confusing, but they have been working to give people as much information on the rules as possible.
“We understand that the rules surrounding COVID change quickly and that knowing the difference between Provincial and Federal regulations can be confusing.”
“Having an answering service helps to ensure customers are getting the information they need in a timely manner.”
It was noted that masks are still required at the airport, and the Federal proof of vaccination was still needed to fly.