Saint John Airport Gets $1.8M From Ottawa

The Saint John Airport (YSJ) is getting an injection of federal funding to help buy critical safety equipment.

On Tuesday, Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long announced more than $1.8 million in funding.

Long said the funding is coming through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program.

“The airport is extremely important to Saint John and to southern New Brunswick, and investments in the airport are critical,” Long said, making the announcement on behalf of Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

The money will be used to buy several pieces of equipment, including a new firefighting vehicle, a shelter to house and protect the vehicle, a new snowblower for the runway, and a runway surface friction tester.

Mark Bettle, chair of the airport’s board of directors, said the funding is important for YSJ as it continues to feel the effects of COVID-19.

“In the past two years, decreased passenger traffic caused by the pandemic has had a significant negative impact on our revenues. As a result, almost all of our planned capital expenditures were put on hold,” said Bettle.

“The ACAP funding not only reduces the total costs of the items but is also helping us to reduce our operating expenses as replacing the items now versus waiting will reduce downtime and repair costs.’

Bettle noted that the fire truck and snowblower that are being replaced are each more than 20 years old.

“The safety here at the airport was never compromised,” he said. “It’s like anything, the upkeep becomes a little bit more expensive as you get older.”

The funding is in addition to the more than $500,000 in ACAP funding provided to the airport last May to help rehabilitate airside apron floodlighting and electrical constant current regulators.

Here’s a look at the two old fire fighting vehicles the airport currently has. One of them has already been replaced. pic.twitter.com/ZaiBcYCFfw

— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) March 1, 2022