AIRPORT REVIEW

Story JOSHUA ELDRIGE Photos ST . JOHN AIRPORT

St . John Airport ( YSJ ) is nestled on the southern Atlantic shore of the Canadian province of New Brunswick . But don ’ t be fooled by its placid surroundings ; YSJ ’ s managers have ambitious plans for growth , aiming to become a logistics center for the fisheries industry and the city ’ s port , the largest in Atlantic Canada .

ALTHOUGH IT SERVES A CITY of only 70,000 people and a region of just over 135,000 , St . John ’ s pre-COVID-19 passenger numbers rivaled the airports of cities twice as large thanks to tourism demand . Between 2016 and 2019 , the main airports in New Brunswick — St . John , Bathurst ( ZBF ), Moncton ( YQM ), and Fredericton ( YFC )— grew their commercial air service capacity at a compound annual growth rate of 3.3 %, outpacing Atlantic Canada ’ s overall compound annual growth rate of 0.3 %. But tourism has been slow to return since the pandemic . According to the Government of New Brunswick ( GNB ), tourist numbers are less than half the average of 2019 , and are currently the lowest in Atlantic Canada .

In 2022 , to encourage growth in passenger air service in the province in a meaningful and sustainable way , the GNB established a five-year plan for the future of air travel in the region , while making the most of the existing infrastructure and ensuring essential aviation services ( i . e ., air ambulance and forest protection .)

Based on the GNB ’ s roadmap , St . John has turned to the logistics-center idea . Among other advantages , the strategy will help fight off competition from nearby airports .

St . John has one natural edge on its provincial rivals : its location close to the United States border

18 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023 www . airwaysmag . com