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Following the safe and successful July 7 relaunch of scheduled service to five British Columbian cities, Central Mountain Air (CMA) announced the resumption of flights between three additional Alberta and British Columbia destinations: Fort Nelson (YYE), High Level (YOJ), and Edmonton (YEG). While the new route schedule does not commence until Sept. 14, 2020, flights are already available for booking on the company’s website.
“We are very pleased that CMA is working toward restoring scheduled air service to the community of High Level,” said High Level mayor Crystal McAteer. “CMA has provided a valuable service to our community and been a valued corporate sponsor. The town recognizes the toll that COVID has taken on our businesses and our citizens. We are aware of the affect this virus has had on air carriers and greatly appreciate CMA’s effort to restore our access to this important mode of travel.”
In response to customer demand, flights currently running between Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, and Terrace on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will be changed to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays effective Aug. 9, 2020.
CMA is also enhancing its existing booking policy to provide customers with friendlier cancellation options. Passengers booked on their flex fare classes are eligible for refunds to their original form of payment up to 72 hours before their flight, without any extra fees.
“CMA is proud to lead the Canadian airline industry with this refund policy,” said Bob Cummings, CMA’s chief executive officer. “Our customers are responding to unprecedented change and need this peace of mind. We also plan to lead the industry in terms of our flight scheduling approach. We are committed to running our schedule as published, we built the schedule to maximize our confidence in minimizing the need to combine, cancel or change flights.”
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality mayor Gary Foster was delighted with the announcement: “CMA is a valued transportation service provider to Fort Nelson as the hub of the Northern Rockies, and the resumption of CMA flights is a welcome step on the road to the new post-COVID-19 normal.”
As CMA resumes and grows its schedule, customer safety remains its primary concern.
“We have worked closely with each of the communities we serve to ensure their health indicators and demand support scheduled service,” said Cummings. “We know how much these communities rely on our connectivity and are proud to partner with them on this schedule.”
“We look forward to welcoming back our valued partner CMA as an essential air service link to Prince George and High Level. While we are rebuilding our economy, EIA’s top priority continues to be safety and security, and our EIA Ready program demonstrates our commitment to ensuring a clean and safe passenger journey,” added Tom Ruth, president and CEO of Edmonton International Airport (EIA).
Through July 17, passengers can book using the promo code relaunch, which provides a 10 per cent discount for travel through Oct. 31.
