On the brink: Airlines flee small cities, cutting key links to rest of the country [Video]

From his office overlooking the runway at Gander International Airport, Reg Wright can see all flights in and out of his corner of Newfoundland.

But in recent years, those plane spottings have been fewer and farther between.

“In Newfoundland, we have a saying called the fisherman’s widow, which is typically anyone that keeps eyes to the sea to see that their husband will return. During the pandemic, I did spend a lot of time in the posture of looking out the window, counting numbers and wondering when recovery was coming,” Wright said.

He’s still counting.

The airport has lost four routes since 2019, including a WestJet route to Halifax, he said. “A third of our passengers have vanished into thin air …. By no means are we recovered.”

Gander serves as a microcosm for numerous towns and cities across the country. While Canada’s total domestic passenger numbers now hover at around pre-COVID levels, …