News - Stephenville International Airport

Tony Young, owner-operator of Atlantic Escapes Travel, hopes and wants to believe it will be a good thing if American company KAZ Aviation takes over operation of the Stephenville airport.

Atlantic Escapes Travel has an office at the airport.

The Stephenville Airport Corporation confirmed Wednesday it is, and has been, in negotiations for some time with the company that is interested in operating the airport.

“I would hope that everyone on the west Coast of Newfoundland would see the positive side of seeing Stephenville airport survive,” Young said.

He said people are questioning why the airport would be operated by an American company rather than a Canadian one, but did note that KAZ contacted the airport and not the other way around.

Young feels if the airline and airport industry are private, the government should stay out of it.

“If a Canadian company would have approached the Stephenville airport, I have a strong feeling any talks would have been shut down long ago by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said.

He said after reading some commentary in reaction to a letter to the editor by Michael McCann in Thursday’s Western Star, it was disturbing to hear what people from Corner Brook had to say, including comments stating the airport should be closed.

“Stephenville airport handles international traffic right now and if the airport is gone that traffic will be gone, which is a loss to Corner Brook as well as Stephenville and the province,” Young said.

He said if the American company takes over operations at the airport and generates more international traffic, then everyone benefits, but if the airport closes those benefits are lost to everyone.

Young said the airport is not just about serving people in Bay St. George, but those in outlying areas who have to even travel further distances where the drive can be up to four and a half hours.

He said in New Brunswick there is three major airports within one and a half hours of each other and all are served by Air Canada, with two of them also served by Westjet.

“If it can work there, why can’t two airports work out of western Newfoundland?

“The difference is that the service is not there from Stephenville as the airport gets hit all the time with downgrading of services,” Young said.

Young believes the economic effect of keeping the Stephenville airport in operation is not just beneficial to the Stephenville area but to the surrounding communities. He said on a busy night there could be hundreds of passengers that have to be put up at hotels and, with a limited amount of rooms in Stephenville, Corner Brook businesses would benefit.

“If this company takes over as planned, then there will be benefits for everyone, including Corner Brook. The people of Corner Brook, especially the businesspeople ...should be pleased with that,” Young said.

He said he is confident if flights were available out of Stephenville that people from Corner Brook would avail of the service and noted the Air Saint Pierre flight out of Stephenville as a good example. Young said of the 28 seats already sold on that flight, 22 of them have been purchased by Corner Brook residents.