Travel slump at Deer Lake Airport not a concern, says CEO
'We can't have a record year every year,' says Jamie Schwartz
Low oil prices means fewer Newfoundland and Labrador workers are commuting to western Canada but the airport in Deer Lake isn't worried about business.
The airport had a record year in 2015 with 341,072 passengers but 2016 is not looking as promising.
"The last few months we're trending downward and we anticipate that trend is going to continue as the economy slows down," said Jamie Schwartz, president and CEO of the Deer Lake Airport Authority.
"We think its a direct result of low oil and certainly the commuting workers that travel to Alberta and Saskatchewan for work on a regular basis. We've seen those numbers drop off a fair bit."
Ups and downs
While Schwartz does anticipate a further decline in traffic, he says it's not unexpected.
The airport has seen a transition in the workers who commute, many who used to head west are now heading to work at Muskrat Falls which has helped lessen the blow of the western commuting losses.
"It's not unusual for airports to have peaks and valleys in air traffic and it's something we anticipate for the upcoming year. We can't have a record year every year."
Schwartz isn't overly concerned about the slowdown. He said the low Canadian dollar may keep people from traveling to the U.S but should still help drive tourism.
Last year's tourism season was strong with record traffic from July to September.
"Many Canadians will stay at home and travel within Canada because of the low dollar ... and we're also hearing some positive signs from the outfitting industry with the low dollar which is attractive to Americans," Schwartz told CBC.
Schwartz added that with the cold weather he hopes the airport's direct flights to Orlando, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba will help entice travellers.
"We've had some really good years and of course, your need really good years to get you thorough some leaner years."
