Adversity becomes opportunity sometimes and a Cape Breton air charter company is hoping to find the silver lining in the pandemic. Airlines have drastically cut service to Atlantic Canada and Celtic Air Services is poised to fill the void. “The major airlines pulling out of a lot of spots and cutting down on their regional flights definitely played into our hands,” Celtic Air President Dave Morgan told the CBC. “Definitely good luck and good timing.” Morgan said he hopes to have charters available in the company’s Cessna 421 beginning in March. The 421 came in his company’s purchase of Quebec-based AxAir last fall.
“Right now, there’s huge troubles for folks that work away and folks that work throughout Atlantic Canada,” said Morgan.”The drive from Sydney to Saint John, New Brunswick, is a long one for an engineering firm that’s sending workers back and forth on a project each week, and without connectivity from the airlines, we think the charter air is going to be an option for them.” Morgan said he’s already shopping for a larger aircraft and considering hiring more pilots to meet the anticipated demand. Celtic Air Services also operates the busy FBO at Port Hawkesbury, which is the private jet gateway for all the Cape Breton golf resorts and other attractions.