Porter's direct flights to Ottawa this winter will help Charlottetown airport set record, says CEO

The Charlottetown Airport will see an increase in seat capacity this winter including a newdirect flight to Ottawa after handling a record number of passengers during the 2023 summer season.

From June to September, 220,489 passengers went through the P.E.I. capital city'sterminal, representinga 7.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2022, according to the Charlottetown Airport Authority.

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In fact, CEO Doug Newson said the airport is on track to have its busiest year yet.

"There was a lot of pent-up demand for air travel last summer and we've been able to add another carrier this summer," he told CBC News: Compass on Monday."It's clear that people are ready to travel, especially on the leisure side."

Air Canada, Westjet, Flair, Swoop and Porter all offered service in and out of Charlottetown this summer.

Record summer for passengers at Charlottetown Airport

12 months ago

Duration 6:33

Airport CEO Doug Newson speaks with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin about the demand for flights.

The momentum will continue into the coming months, despite a decrease in the number of carriers.

Swoop will no longer operate an independent airline, and Flair has decided to redirect planes to southern markets. Still,Newson said there will still be more seatson offer because Air Canada is using larger aircraft and Porter is continuing service out of Charlottetown for the first time during a winter season.

"We fully expect it to be a record winter unless something changes," he said, adding:"In this business,we've learned over the last three or four years that things can change."

Winter flights to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa

Beginning at the end of October, Air Canada will offer two daily flights to Toronto and one to Montreal. Porter will offer a daily direct flight to Ottawa.

The airport is continuing with the expansion of its terminal to accommodate the growth. Newson said he expects it to be complete by 2027.

"When it's all said and done, it'll be a totally different airport and a different experience for people. And it's all based on projections for passenger traffic over the next 20 to 30 years," he said.