Council earmarks $500,000 to bring air passenger service back to Fort Frances

Air passenger service is close to returning to Fort Frances.

Town Council has agreed to set aside $500,000 over two years to help bring Thunder Bay-based North Star Air into the community.

The town is also committing $40,000 on marketing.

An agreement states the first flights would come on June 1st.

Mayor Andrew Hallikas says it is important to have air passenger service back.

“Fort Frances, right now, is in transition, and I believe that we’re at a cusp, we’re on the brink of some very vigorous economic activity and development, and we’re going to need a passenger service now more than ever as professionals and workers will start flying into Fort Frances,” says Hallikas.

Hallikas notes that Kenora and Dryden are doing the same thing to give the airline a push to be successful.

All three communities lost air passenger service in January 2024 when Bearskin pulled its flights.

North Star began flights to Kenora earlier this year.

Hallikas says his conversations with the company’s vice-president, Tom Meilleur, indicate they want to see the service be a success.

“He’s a really willing partner. He’s willing to tailor the service to our needs,” says Hallikas.

“He’s willing to use larger or smaller aircraft if needed. He’s willing to cancel flights if nobody’s on those flights. He wants it to be a success as much as we want it to be a success.”

The agreement between the town and the airline notes that the service needs at least $780,000 in net revenue to be sustainable.

A project loss of $171,000 is planned for in the first year.

The airline is proposing three flights weekly, using a Pilatus PC-12 that has the capacity to carry as many as nine passengers.

Ticket prices are set between $450.00 to under $800.00, depending on when a passenger books.