St. John’s-based PAL Airlines is bucking the negative trend in the industry by launching a new service to Moncton, New Brunswick.
The route was marked with an inaugural flight that arrived in St. John’s yesterday, carrying airport and company officials. The new service will operate five days a week with morning departures and early arrival times.
We got the water salute today on our first flight to Moncton! This was when we got back to St. John’s! This was my view, I’ll be posting from the tower and from the ground as well! pic.twitter.com/blxnExK9fr
— Wanda Clarke (@WandaYYT) September 21, 2020
PAL Airlines president Calvin Ash says it’s a credit to the company’s employees that they’ve been able to weather the COVID-19 storm.
He says the company wasn’t totally immune and had to make cuts early on. They were able to bring back some staff as some travel resumed inside the Atlantic bubble. Ash says staff have been working very hard to get flights back up and running, even if just in the bubble.
PAL also has plans to expand to Ottawa if and when travel restrictions outside the Atlantic bubble are lifted.
Thanks YYT Tower! PAL Airlines inaugural flight from @MonctonYQM to @stjohnsairport was greeted with a water salute in YYT to mark this ceremonial occasion. https://t.co/t5E6EjEAgx
— PAL Airlines (@PALairlines) September 21, 2020
What an exciting day for PAL Airlines, @stjohnsairport and @monctonyqm! With our new route between St. Johns & Greater Moncton offically launched, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved to get this off the ground. Stay tuned, official photos coming tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/clpLT9vyws
— PAL Airlines (@PALairlines) September 21, 2020