While North Star Air’s passenger flights to and from Thunder Bay will launch July 6 with a price tag somewhat on the expensive side and only three times a week, that could change if the passenger service takes off, according to the carrier’s vice-president.
“When you look at the fares up north, you go, ‘Oh wow, that’s expensive,’ and it is, we recognize that,” North Star Vice-President Tom Meilleur told The Times.
“The challenge we have as airlines in the north is that we’re dealing with stuff that the south doesn’t. Low markets, low populations, we have smaller airplanes, so the cost per seat is more. We have weather issues, we have infrastructure issues and things like that. Everybody argues that, ‘Well, you’re more expensive in the north,’ those are the reasons.”
One-way tickets to and from Thunder Bay and Fort Frances are currently priced at three different tiers, starting at the $450 Saver ticket, which is required to be booked at least seven days in advance. The Thrift ticket, the next tier up, is priced at $550. It requires booking only three days prior, instead of seven. Neither option is refundable after purchase, and there is an additional $50 fee for any changes or cancellations.
The final option is the Flex ticket, at $799. This option can be booked anytime, has refundability options and can be changed or cancelled without an additional fee.
Although the ticket price is currently steep, there’s a possibility it can be lowered if a policy framework called the Northern Ontario Airfare Affordability Program (NOAAP) moves forward. NOAAP has been proposed by North Star and other members of the airline industry as a provincial government subsidy program that would allow passengers to travel at rates 60 to 75 per cent below current market costs.
“The program is designed to get connectivity and to help with the low markets,” Meilleur said. “We’re trying to get the government to commit $40 million per year, or as I like to say, $2.60 per taxpayer, which isn’t a big amount to get that connectivity in the north going again.”
The flights will mark a return of commercial passenger service between the two municipalities, the first time it has been available since Bearskin Airlines ceased operations due to declining ridership during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
To promote the North Star service, a barbecue, aircraft tours and free ticket draws were held at the Fort Frances Airport last week.
“It’s a partnership that was forged by a need in Northern Ontario that we are passionate about,” Meilleur said. “As an airline, we are passionate about the connectivity of Northern Ontario. Our roots are here, and our staff is all from Northern Ontario.”
The airline is expecting variety in its assortment of ridership, with the possibility of passengers traveling with any purpose, from business to personal.
“I’m hoping for a blend of everything, I really am,” Meilleur said. “For instance, if I wanted to go to Thunder Bay right now, I would end up travelling three and a half, four hours to get there. Then I would have to figure out where to park my car if I’m going beyond and might have to overnight. So, the scheduled departures here in the morning are geared to make connections to the south and wherever beyond that.”
“I think it’s a model that can grow. It’s only three times a week. We took a conservative approach as partners and said, ‘Well, let’s start off with three, and we have the ability to flex up.’ We also have the ability, if it ever goes crazy and there are too many people, to bring bigger airplanes into the mix.”
Meilleur said any decisions to increase capacities or adjust service frequency will come from the town itself, not North Star Air.
Before an agreement with North Star Air was finalized, the Town of Fort Frances hired the B.C.-based InterVISTAS consultancy, which specializes in aviation, transportation and tourism research, to conduct an in-depth survey to determine whether the service was feasible, according to Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas.
“Overwhelmingly, it came back that the constituents, the people in our community, businesses, organizations strongly felt that they needed an air service, that they would use an airport service,” Hallikas said. “The overall picture is that it’s feasible, the demand is there. Then we cast around looking for a partner, and we hooked up with North Star Air, and they’ve been amazing.”
Despite confidence in North Star and their willingness to accommodate the needs of a small town, the entire operation depends completely on whether travellers will show up to make regular use of the service.
“We had a lot of people saying that they want the air service, that they’re going to use the air service,” Hallikas said. “Well, this air service is going to be dependent upon people using it. So all those people who said they want it, they’ll use it, they have to more or less put their money where their mouth is and they’ve got to buy tickets. The future viability of this air service depends on people using it, people buying tickets. Just a shoutout to everyone there who said they wanted air service—it’s here, we provided it, and now you’ve got to use it.”
