Passenger Record At Deer Lake Airport

December 30, 2004

The Deer Lake Regional Airport marked another major milestone in its history by recording its first ever 200,000th passenger in any given year just days prior to the 2004 year-end. The Airport Authority identified Valerie Simmons, who arrived on Provincial Airlines flight 902 from Goose Bay/Wabush, as the 200,000th passenger to arrive or depart from the airport facility during 2004. In recognition of this historic occasion, Valerie received a complimentary round trip airfare for two from Provincial Airlines as well as free-parking for a year and other promotional items from the Deer Lake Regional Airport Authority.

Although the actual year-end figures will not be available until early in January 2005, the Airport is expected to exceed last year’s record traffic level of 171,634 passengers by approximately 18%. The increased volume of passengers is welcomed news for the Chairman of the Airport Authority, Mr. Carl Stratton. “This has been a very successful year for the Authority and all businesses operating at the Airport as a result of the increased traffic”, said Stratton. “We are now positioning the Airport for further growth and development and this will have a positive impact on the entire Western Newfoundland region”, added Stratton.

The Airport Manager, Mr. Jamie Schwartz, recognized the role of the airlines in reaching this record growth. “The quality and level of service we receive from the four different airlines servicing our domestic route network has contributed to our growth”, said Schwartz. “The airlines have responded to the marketplace with additional capacity and frequency, new routes, and attractive fares and this has helped stimulate the market”, added Schwartz.

The Deer Lake Regional Airport now serves Western Newfoundland with twenty-three regularly scheduled passenger flights each day to destinations including St. John’s, Goose Bay, Wabush, and Halifax with connections worldwide. A total of four different airlines; Air Canada Jazz, Air Labrador, CanJet Airlines and Provincial Airlines, now offer a regular service to and from Deer Lake. The Deer Lake Regional Airport is one of only a few remaining airports in Canada that does not collect or charge an airport improvement or passenger facilitation fee.