Since I arrived here in December, I have been talking about the momentum building at YSJ.
This month, that momentum is picking up speed, and I’m delighted to be sharing news that truly changes the game for Saint John Airport.
Starting June 15, Saint John Airport rejoins the Porter Airlines network – something that opens up destinations throughout Canada for our passengers in a really exciting way.
Through a partnership with Pascan Aviation and the brand-new Montréal Metropolitan Airport, YSJ travellers will have access to Porter’s national network on a single ticket, with seamless baggage connections.
Seven days a week, Pascan whisks Saint John passengers to the new Montréal terminal where they can easily connect to other domestic Porter flights, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and both Pearson and Billy Bishop airports in Toronto.
Even better, the morning flight leaves Saint John at 6:55 a.m., which means same-day travel to any of these destinations, connecting in as little as 45 minutes.
You can leave here and be in Western Canada before noon.
And it’s possible to return to Saint John from some destinations in one day, if you need to, thanks to the final Pascan return flight, which lands at YSJ at around 11 p.m.
This is enormous.
Pascan has been part of our story for a couple of years now, but this partnership changes its role entirely.
Daily service to Montréal, with speedy onward connections, is not a side note – it’s transformational for this community.
We’re not stopping with this. I continue to meet with airline executives across the country and I’m able to share with them some impressive facts about YSJ that folks here might be surprised to hear.
In the first quarter of this year, we saw nearly nine per cent passenger growth – and that’s without a single additional flight.
Flights are full. Demand is real.
And when airlines look at our operational performance, what they find is an airport that leads Atlantic Canada in fewest delays, shortest delays and fewest cancellations – and one that ranks among the top airports in Canada for on-time performance.
Those are the kinds of numbers that get noticed.
Part of what is driving that growth is the work of Team YSJ – a group of business and community leaders who meet quarterly to understand what we are doing, share feedback, and help carry the message forward. Their investment in this airport matters, and it shows up in the numbers.
There is more to come. I am glad to say the path we have been on is producing results – and this community deserves every bit of it.
Court Edeburn
President & CEO
Saint John Airport
