News Release - February 17, 2022

YQQ welcomes the recent Federal Governments announcement on the easing of travel restrictions and advisories

The Comox Valley Airport welcomes the recent Federal Government of Canada announcement on the easing of travel restrictions and advisories, viewing it as a step forward towards normalizing travel for Canadians. As of February 28th, the Government will no longer recommend against non-essential travel, great news for Canadians considering Spring Break and other leisure travel options. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers returning to Canada will see a reduction in random testing, and those selected for testing will no longer have to quarantine while they await results. Travellers will also have the more convenient and affordable option of providing a rapid antigen test for pre-entry requirements when they return.

"We welcome this news and look forward to a more normal travel experience this summer, as the Comox Airport continues to be well served by competitive airfares, and great connectivity" said airport CEO Mike Atkins. "The recovery of air service and continued support of our legacy national and regional carriers, and the arrival of new Ultra Low Cost (ULC) Flair Airlines next month and Swoop Airlines in June will help speed tourism recovery while continuing to serve the travel needs of our growing region".

While this announcement provides some hope of relief from some of the most onerous barriers to air travel in the world, the news that the Comox Valley Airport can once again welcome International Flights came too late for WestJet's Puerto Vallarta Winter service. "It is truly disappointing to know that this inexplicable wait has resulted in additional travel time and expense for our passengers wanting to fly internationally," said Atkins. "With no explanation of why the Comox Valley Airport remained restricted to international flights while airports across Canada were allowed to re-open, the winter service to Puerto Vallarta has been lost for the season."

For more information on the changes and requirements for domestic and international travel, see the Government of Canada's website: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid.

The Comox Valley Airport Commission (CVAC) is a federally incorporated, non-profit entity, established through letters patent in 1996 as the governing authority for the operation of the Comox Valley Airport.

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Media Contacts:

Erin Neely
Comox Valley Airport
Phone: 250-890-0829 ext. 253
eneely@comoxairport.com