$500 to London and almost $3,000 for an in-province flight to a community that has no other access.

I hope any influx of tourist dollars is already earmarked for infrastructure improvements to remote communities.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

If the province can support WestJet flights between St. John’s and Europe, it has “a responsibility” to improve air access to Indigenous communities in northern Labrador, and help make food and other basic needs more affordable, Lampe said in a recent interview.

Provinces that provide financial backing for non-stop flights to international destinations walk a “fine line,” and they need to be clear about why they’re using taxpayers’ money to serve a highly specific portion of the population, he said in a recent interview.

Neither the province nor the St. John’s International Airport Authority will say what the agreement entails, nor how much money is involved, but the provincial Tourism Department said the funds come from a pot of $3.75 million, “to support the expansion and development of air access.”

The fund was set up “to establish direct air service between Manitoba and international markets that offer significant economic opportunity,” the email said.

When asked why WestJet needed public money, Andy Gibbons, the company’s vice-president of external affairs, said he could not comment on specific arrangements.

“Communities often work with airlines to bring connectivity to attract investment opportunities and foster economic development,” Gibbons said in an emailed statement.

The original article contains 776 words, the summary contains 198 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

If subsidizing flights from Europe to increase economic activity and build a tourism industry is the goal, then a portion of those proceeds should be earmarked directly to expanding and improving air access to other parts of the province - because unfortunately, it’s not the people flying from Labrador to St. Johns who are bringing thousands of dollars/euros with them to stay in fancy hotels and eat at a restaurant three meals a day.

If this is indeed the plan, it needs to be recognized that it’s risky, and may work… Leading to being worse off overall.