Prince George welcomed a new kind of plane Wednesday morning.
The first commercial flight of a Bombardier Q400 plane into the Prince George Airport landed just before 10 a.m.
Air Canada bought a fleet of the planes, and put them into initial use in Atlantic Canada and Ontario before bringing them to B.C. They are a propeller plane that behaves a lot like a jet, with only a fraction of the cost.
"It is made in Canada and the feedback we are already getting from customers is very positive," said Air Canada spokeswoman Edna Ray. "This aircraft has 74 seats, so it is bigger than the Dash-8s [used for years on regional routes like Vancouver-Prince George]. We will fly one less time per day, but even so the new plane will provide a 23 per cent increase in the number of seats available on this route: 370 day-seats."
Prince George Airport Authority CEO John Gibson said the Q400 could be a game-changer for YXS and other regional airports because airclines can move more people with fewer flights, and with cheaper fuel and labour costs. It also helps the traveller because the flight experience is better than the Dash-8 and similar "old school" prop planes.
"It is cheaper to operate this plane at 74 seats than it is to run the Dash-8 or even an RJ [short-range regional jets] with 50 seats, so that's a big business advantage for the airlines," Gibson said. "With the type of engine the Q400 has, it is way more fuel efficient, it is way quieter for the passengers and flight crews, and it is fast. There will only be five minutes slower than the jets on a flight from here to Vancouver. The previous prop flights were 20 minutes slower or more. And, the passengers will notice better seating, a more comfortable fuselage [the plane's interior], and a better chance of getting a flight on the day you want it. It helps the airport because it will move more people in and out, it will help the airlines' bottom lines, and the passengers will notice the difference."
Those lined up for boarding were already curious about what the new flight experience was all about.
"I make this flight every few weeks, so I expect to notice any differences. Any time improvement is good," said Gordie Howell.
"I think this is great. I'm kind of excited to make the flight on a brand new plane," said Laura Mason.
WestJet has also purchased a flock of Q400s but they have not announced whether those planes will also service Prince George.
