Air Labrador’s announcement that it will end air service to southern Labrador communities is of great concern to residents and must be addressed by the provincial government, says Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones, MHA for Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair District.

Jones says government has been aware of Air Labrador’s business concerns about operating flights to the south coast of Labrador since April, yet has done nothing to bring forward options that could help residents living in this region of our province. She is encouraging government to look at several actions and bring forward a plan in the near future.

“It is certainly unfortunate that it appears scheduled air service to communities on the south coast of Labrador will end in the coming months,” said Ms. Jones. “Government could have been more proactive in their approach and looked at solutions to address this void, but it appears nothing has been done. I will continue lobbying government to take the issue of transportation more seriously in our region and again bring forward options to help address this situation.

“Everyone on the coast of Labrador will be affected by this decision. Whether it is scheduled medical appointments or the delivery of mail, air transportation is heavily relied upon in our region. With the poor road conditions and the lack of infrastructure connecting several communities, action will be needed to address this major gap in service.”

There are several issues that the Opposition Leader is encouraging government to consider. She says a chartered medical service that will fly patients to the necessary health care facilities must be used for patients; a similar service is already in place on the north coast of Labrador. She also says government must move forward with constructing a regional airport at Port Hope Simpson, and she is looking for assurances that isolated communities without road infrastructure will have access to affordable, reliable and effective transportation.

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