Once a month, Abbotsford-based optometrist Dr. Vicky Mahairhu flew from Vancouver to Fort Nelson, British Columbia, a journey of more than 1,000 kilometers to care for patients in the Northeast community.
But every time she flies, Mahairhu says the last-minute cancellation affects either end of her, sometimes both.
That’s why she wrote to the mayors and councils of the northern Rockies region, calling for solutions.
According to the 2021 census, in February, Mahairhu flew to Fort Nelson, with about 2,600 people in the community, was cancelled when she arrived at the airport to check in. She was subsequently forced to cancel her six-day date scheduled in Fort Nelson.
Then, in March, her flight back to Vancouver was cancelled several times. Her Monday flight was cancelled, and she was rebooked on her next flight on Wednesday, but was subsequently cancelled, and she was taken to her Friday flight.
She told CBC North North Host Carolina de Ryk, Carolina, the mayor described it as an unreliable airline service.
Similar to what happened in February, she had to cancel her patient appointment in Abbotsford for the entire week.
Most importantly, she said, her children were left at home without their parents for a few days.
“It affects my work and it also stresses me when the kids are at home and don’t have parents around me,” Mahairhu said.
She isn’t the only one who is frustrated with the flight: Bill Dolan, the Fort Nelson school trustee, shared his travel dilemma at a municipal meeting on March 24.
He said he left the community for six days and attended a two-day meeting earlier this year.
“My meeting was a day spent in Vancouver late Friday afternoon. The next day I arrived at Prince George, but I had to stay overnight,” he said. “The next morning, my flight was postponed, halfway through the airport, and then cancelled. Flying to Vancouver, flying to Vancouver on another airline, and back to Fort St. John.”
Dolan said the only reason he was able to go home was because the local connections tied him to someone who needed a vehicle to drive to Fort Nelson, who was able to drive there.
“The timetable is limited, and that’s inconvenient,” he said.
At the same meeting, Fort Nelson resident Mark Cripps said many seniors in the community had to travel outside the community for medical appointments, which was challenging when canceling flights.
“It’s getting harder to live here,” he said.
Only one commercial airline is in and out of Fort Nelson: Central Mountain Air, serving communities in and around BC and Alberta.
“The entire industry challenge”
Central Hill Air president Doug McCrea said in an emailed statement to CBC News that he is aware of the concerns raised by people entering and leaving the community.
“Like many airlines, we are facing industry-wide challenges such as pilot restrictions, which affect our schedule and capabilities,” he said. “While these factors are multifaceted, we are actively looking at solutions to improve reliability and minimize future disruption.”
McCrea has not extended these solutions.
But Mahairhu said that fewer flights should be arranged first.
“If they know they don’t have a pilot, maybe they only need to fly twice a week, not three times a week,” she said, adding that there was no problem canceling it while she was hiking during the 19-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Mahairhu wants the airline to stop canceling flights at the last minute.
“If you cancel a flight, please notify one or two days in advance, and that would be great.”
At the March 24 meeting, the Council seemed to agree to start with a dialogue with the airlines.
“The reliability issues have caused sadness in our community,” Mayor Rob Fraser said.
