A new cooperative in Quebec is hoping that local governments and individuals will invest in the new airline it’s trying to develop to fill in for gaps in service left by Air Canada’s regional service. Treq says Air Canada’s decision to abandon a host of routes to smaller Quebec communities is behind the drive. In its announcement, the coop said its airline will serve “the regions of Quebec and allow their development.” Communities in the far-flung regions of the province have long complained about the sparse service and high prices that carriers have charged and the coop hopes to democratize air travel to those places.
Treq will fly from hubs in Montreal and Quebec City to most significant population centres in Quebec and proposes round trip fares of $199 to $425 depending on flight length and, since the passengers will be the shareholders, it’s plan is to keep those fares stable rather than being subject to supply and demand. Founding member Serge Lariviere, president of the Mont-Tremblant Airport, said the airline is a way for the communities to help themselves. “It’s a way for us (the regions) to develop economically, for our tourism, for our social lives,” Lariviere said. “There is a scope much larger than just another company establishing itself in the region.”