Customer service issues related to connecting flights and network access are behind this week’s announcement that Pascan Aviation flights to and from Montreal will be paused out of the Norman Rogers Airport in Kingston, Ont., in the new year.
It’s not the news Kingston travellers wanted to hear as flights will be halted after Jan. 6.
It’s not a health and safety matter, or a dispute between the city and the airline.
Airport Manager Aron Winterstein said it comes down to customer service shortfalls.
“The biggest barrier that we’ve got is that people aren’t able to book their flights on the Air Canada website; we’ve heard from customers that they want to use their Aeroplan,” said Winterstein.
The inability for customers to be able to book their flight from Kingston to Montreal and then make a connection to their next destination has created a snag that led to the pause.
Mayor Bryan Paterson said that it’s no reason to panic, as this was anticipated when the plans were put in motion.
“We knew right from the outset of when this launched that another key piece that was still missing was the ability to have this full interline agreement between Pascan and Air Canada,” said Paterson.
All tickets purchased for air travel in and out of Kingston to Montreal will be honoured through Jan. 6, but after that, it’s all on hold indefinitely.
However, Winterstein said work is already underway to get it back up and running, better than before.
“Air Canada has committed to getting the services that we need and it’s a matter of time to get onto their website,” he added.
Despite the setback, Mayor Paterson said he still feels the massive $16-million investment made into the airport in recent years was a good one, and that once the issues are sorted, it will continue to grow.
“There have been, definitely, some challenges that have hit us, but I think that, to be honest, yes, the new airport was a vital piece for the future of air service, having, now, a regional partner like Pascan, another vital piece,” he said.
It seems that, come the new year, those who were hoping to pack their bags and hop onto a tarmac close to home, will have those plans grounded.
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