Regional air service is essential infrastructure and Canada must treat it that way

Aviation is too often treated as a source of government revenue rather than as a system that requires reinvestment to remain safe, reliable, and affordable.

A plane sits at the Canadian North hangar in Ottawa on Aug. 9, 2023. When northern and remote flights are disrupted or reduced, it affects mobility, health, and public safety, writes Julie Mailhot. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY JULIE MAILHOT

April 15, 2026

For many Canadians, air travel is a matter of convenience. For others—particularly those living in northern, remote, and Indigenous communities—it is an essential service. In regions such as Nunavut, northern Manitoba, northern Quebec, and parts of Atlantic Canada, flyin...

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