Only travelers traveling for personal purposes will be entitled to a maximum of three round-trip flights at $500 per year, said Minister François Bonnardel, on the eve of the entry into force of his new air access program. to regions.

• Read also: There will not be tickets for everyone

However, carriers will have to rely on the good faith of their passengers to ensure compliance with the terms of the program, unveiled Tuesday by the Minister of Transport, since there will be no additional checks.

In principle, a person who would like to travel between Montreal, Quebec or St-Hubert airport to a remote region, such as Gaspé, will not be eligible for the subsidized rate if their trip is reimbursed by their employer.

Before purchasing their ticket online on the carrier's website, a traveler must in particular certify "that the trip is made exclusively for personal purposes and not for business or in the context of work".

Travelers will also have to consent “to the transmission by the carrier of any personal information to the Minister of Transport for the purposes of verifying compliance with the certified elements”, can be read on the website of one of the carriers.

But in practice, no government resources will be assigned to verification tasks. "The goal is not to go on a witch hunt," said Mr. Bonnardel.

Open to non-residents

On the other hand, non-resident travelers and foreign students will also be able to purchase round-trip tickets at the price of $500, which includes taxes and airport fees.

The objective, recalled the Minister, is first of all to stimulate the regional economy and to help revive tourism. In all, 98,800 discounted tickets will be made available for the first year of the program, which represents 50% of the anticipated demand.

“Legal persons still have significant tax deductions for their trips,” underlined Mr. Bonnardel, when questioned on the decision to exclude business trips and trips by workers, who nevertheless represent the majority of travelers on the regional flights.

"For us, what was important was to allow people who are not legal persons, who are not companies, to say to themselves: for the first time in Quebec, I can travel at a reasonable price", explained Mr. Bonnardel.

The Optimistic Carriers

"We really believe that this new program will bring people back on the flights," commented the CEO of Air Creebec, Sylvain Dicaire, one of the six participating carriers, recalling that the pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the regional airline industry.

The new program will somehow “give wings” to Quebecers, by opening the doors to most regions of Quebec, illustrated in turn Julian Roberts, of Pascan Aviation.

Another component of the program, which replaces the Airfare Reduction Program (PRTA), will reimburse 30 to 50% of the cost of a plane ticket for residents of the Basse-Côte-Nord and Côte -Nord, Anticosti Island, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Eeyou Istchee Baie-James and Whapmagoostui.

“The regions have been asking for better air service for four years, and what is the CAQ offering us? These three round trips to these destinations, ”reacted the solidarity MP for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue, Émilise Lessard-Therrien.

“What will we have left, in fact, beyond these three round trips? We will be left with an air service which is just as poor and needs which are just as important, ”she lamented.

Stream 1: Airfare reimbursement for residents of remote and isolated areas

Part 2: Airline ticket offer at $500

* The PAAR will be in effect until March 31, 2024. It has an envelope of $38 million for 2022-2023 and $48 million for 2023-2024

Source: Ministry of Transport