International flights can return to Nanaimo Airport and many other smaller airports in Canada.
Transport Canada’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting where international passenger flights can arrive in Canada expired on Feb. 28. The expiration means international flights carrying passengers are now able permitted to land at CBSA designated airports, such as Nanaimo Airport. The measure had been in place since July 2020.
Other airports where international flights are allowed to resume include Kamloops Airport, Fredericton International Airport, Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport, Charlottetown Airport, Thunder Bay International Airport, and London International Airport.
The federal government said the decision to allow international flights to resume at smaller Canadian airports is due to high vaccination rates, increased availability of rapid tests and because Omicron “passed its peak” in Canada.
“The measures we are announcing today are possible in part because Canadians have stepped up, rolled up their sleeves and gotten vaccinated. These measures will allow vaccinated Canadians to once again reunite with family and friends and reap the economic benefit that travel provides. We will continue to evaluate our measures and will not hesitate to make necessary adjustments to keep Canadians and our transportation system safe,” Omar Alghabra, federal transport minister, said in a press release.
Nanaimo Airport has not had scheduled international flights since Kenmore Air operated flights to Seattle in 2015 after only 14 months.
Nicholas Pescod
