Thursday, March 21, 2019 ~ BC.
~ West Shore Voice News
Pacific Coastal Airlines (PCA) is one of the oldest airlines in Canada. Started 50 years ago in Bella Coola by a second-generation truck logger, it’s now the sixth largest airline at the Vancouver International Airport and the third-largest for takeoffs and landings in BC.
This week the Boeing 737 was on many people’s minds, given the fatal crash of Ethiopia Airlines on March 10. But for Pacific Coastal Airlines (PCA) that is not of concern: “We don’t fly jets, turbo props only,” says Kevin Boothroyd, Director Business Development and Corporate Communications, PCA.
“We comply fully with all Transport Canada rules and regulations governing the rules of aircraft and crew. Flying for 50 years, we know the region really well.”
Their pressurized planes fly from larger airports as in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Masset, Trail, Port Hardy. They offer the only non-stop flight service from Victoria to Prince George as the northern ‘capital’ of BC. All other airlines heading to Prince George connect through Vancouver, says Boothroyd.
The PCA summer schedule starts Sunday June 23, including the addition of a second non-stop daily flight between Victoria International Airport (YYJ) and Prince George Airport (YXS). The two daily non-stop flights in summer (Sunday to Friday) represent a 27% increase in seat capacity. There will be new connections for Prince George travelers including, Campbell River (YBL), Comox (YQQ), Trail (YZZ), Powell River (YPW), and Tofino (YAZ).
Peak times for the government, business and outdoor recreation customers of Pacific Coastal Airlines are Fridays and Mondays, or Tuesdays if following a long weekend. Mid-week departure and return times are organized to allow for a good-enough work day and returning by early evening. For example, the flight to Prince George leaves Victoria at 9:05 am, landing in Prince George at 10:45 am. A flight from Prince George to Victoria departs at 3:30 pm. The additional summer departure is at 5:35 pm, arriving back in Victoria at 7:15 pm. It’s a shorter work day but eliminates the need for a transfer or staying overnight in Vancouver.
Whether for local customers or international travellers, the peak season is April through the end of September or early October. Visitors incoming from Germany and China come to the main Vancouver terminal, and from there to the south terminal where PCA is ready to fly them to other hub communities, fishing lodges and other remote spots. Their 22-minute Victoria/Vancouver flights run five to seven times a day.
Their smallest aircraft that heads regularly to Prince George (the Beechcraft 1900D) seats 19 people and is spacious, but no bathroom or flight attendant. The smaller aircraft is also used to get to Klemtu in the remote coastal fjords of BC to see the white Kermode (Spirit) bear. “A lot of the places we fly can’t take a large aircraft,” says Boothroyd. The 100-minute flight to Prince George — as well as to Masset – is also serviced by PCA’s 34-seater (Beechcraft 1900C) which includes bathroom and flight attendant.
Seat prices aren’t fixed. “The last seat on the last available site in mid summer is one price. Off-season, the first seat can be the cheapest. It’s supply and demand,” says Boothroyd.
The airline has become integral in the economies of local communities. “For a lot of the province, we are their daily flyer.” That includes tourists, as well as people in remote areas coming to larger centres for hospital visits and shopping.
“Pacific Coastal Airlines are a made-in-BC success story,” says Boothroyd. For three provincial elections in a row they have been chartered for flights around the province. In January, a number of government officials including Premier John Horgan flew PCA coming back from the 16th Annual BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George in January. In the west shore, City of Langford officials use PCA for business travel.
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This news was first published on page 3 in the March 15, 2019 print-PDF weekend edition of West Shore Voice News.