Regional air transport: Quebec finally presents its recovery plan

The air transport recovery plan will simplify the procedure for reducing fares in remote regions and limit costs for inter-regional travel across the province.

The strategy presented Tuesday by Transport Minister François Bonnardel was expected and requested by both elected officials and the aviation industry.

Effective June 1, the central measure aims to increase the volume of the various services by compensating carriers to offer round-trip flights from major centers to remote areas at $500.

The mechanism only concerns companies that offer the service on an annual basis.

About thirty routes are targeted by the announcements.

For the Magdalen Islanders, the main novelty is that the reimbursement of 60% of the cost of the tickets will now be applied at the time of purchase rather than through a mailing.

The $3,000 per year per person cap has also been removed from the Airfare Discount Program, as has the overall envelope limit.

For carriers and airport authorities, the government has announced that it is extending its existing emergency assistance programs until March 31, 2023.

The new measures announced represent an investment of $261 million over the next five years.