A year and a half after Air Canada’s withdrawal from several regional destinations, a new parliamentary session is concluded without the government presenting its plan to relaunch regional air transport. The PQ opposition is at the end of its patience.
“People in the regions of Quebec have been patient for a year and a half,” denounced the parliamentary leader of the Parti Québécois, Martin Ouellet, during question period. “There are no frequencies and then the [prix] flights are still high. “
The elected official, who represents a riding of the Côte-Nord, then indicated that it would cost him $ 722 to get to Baie-Comeau if he took the plane on Friday.
Prime Minister François Legault had just asked the opposition to be “a little bit patient” because the plan would be presented “very, very soon”.
But on the same date last year, the CAQ government promised to present a plan in January 2021. Spring was then discussed, then August.
Regarding the deadlines, the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, said he was in discussion “week after week with the aircraft manufacturers”. He argued that the plan would be presented within the “next few weeks”.
The promise of this plan stems from Air Canada’s abandonment of a series of regional destinations in the summer of 2020, such as Mont-Joli, Val-d’Or, Baie-Comeau and Gaspé. Faced with the outcry triggered by this decision, the CAQ government had set up a crisis unit to restructure the organization of regional flights in Quebec.
His wish is to create a model that would ensure better frequencies and price caps.
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