By Tina Comeau
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
The president and owner of an American company that will begin offering flights between Yarmouth and Portland starting on March 15 says they’re excited about the upcoming air service and they’re confident that they can succeed where others before have failed.
On Friday, Feb. 26 the Yarmouth International Airport Corporation officially announced its partnership with Twin Cities Air Service of Auburn, Maine, to restore regular air service at the Yarmouth airport.
Starting in two weeks, non-stop scheduled flights between Yarmouth and Portland will begin on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The cost of a round-trip will start at $400 per person, plus taxes.
Nate Humphrey of Twin Cities Air Service says they’ve have been interested in providing regular passenger service out of the Yarmouth airport for a while. More than a year ago they had bid on the service at the same time Quebec-based Starlink had, with the service going to Starlink.
“There is no other multi-engine airplane in the world that will fly this run as affordably as a twin engine Cessna 402 and still give you good cabin class comfort and, of course, safety.” - Nate Humphrey, Twin Cities Air Service
However launched in February, the Starlink service – which flew to Portland and Halifax – was suspended before the end of the year after a $2-million development fund of provincial dollars ran out. The fund was supposed to last up to five years but Starlink burned through it in nine months.
Humphrey says they are not relying on any government subsidy for their air service. The airport corporation, he says, has secured a small amount of dollars to help with marketing the service but once those dollars are gone, they’re gone he says.
