Cathy Dobson/The Independent

It could soon be possible to take an Air Canada bus from Chris Hadfield Airport to Pearson International Airport, now that city council has agreed to subsidize it if necessary.

Once all the paperwork is signed, Sarnia will join the ranks of Hamilton, Waterloo and Kingston where Air Canada carrier service has also been cancelled and bus service is the latest offering.

By late May or early June, Landline Company coach service is expected to be partnering with Air Canada to provide passengers departing from Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport with luggage check-in and transportation to Pearson.

Two daily round trips are proposed, one in the early morning and another in early afternoon, with a 10-minute stop at the K-W Airport, according to a report from Sarnia’s economic development director Kelly Provost.

“The key advantage to Sarnia ticket holders is that they’d get service from Sarnia on one ticket,” Provost told council. 

Should the bus be delayed, Air Canada will rebook customers free-of-charge on the next available flight. There will be no parking charges in Sarnia.

The deal hinges on a Minimum Revenue Guarantee of $375,000 from the city.  If the service is not popular and revenues don’t allow it to break even, the agreement would make up the difference to Air Canada, Provost said. If the service makes money, the city’s funds won’t be required.

Provost also said negotiations are ongoing to see if Tourism Sarnia-Lambton will provide a portion of the $375,000.
Councillors George Vandenberg and Bill Dennis said Monday they aren’t happy that the city is subsidizing an Air Canada bus service that competes with the private sector. They were the only council members who didn’t support it.

“Where are all these customers coming from that are going to be at the Sarnia airport every day?” asked Vandenberg.  “How much are we going to supplement this, because it’s going to cost us an awful lot of money.”

He objected to the city subsidizing an Air Canada bus service when there is already at least one private bus service operating between Sarnia and Pearson.

“It’s not a shuttle service; it’s not a bus service.  It’s considered part of a flight network,” Provost replied.

“So it’s one ticket with a bus and a plane component with Air Canada to any destinations they go.
“That’s how it differs from a service like FlixBus,” she said.

Dennis objected because an Air Canada bus service to Pearson would be serving “the well-do-do” and he didn’t agree Sarnia ratepayers should subsidize that.

But others on council said, if successful, the new service could entice Air Canada plane service back to Sarnia.

“This is a way of sending a clear message to Air Canada that we want to work with them to get traffic and activity to the airport,” said Mayor Mike Bradley.

The city’s bus agreement with Air Canada is only for a year and has a 60-day termination clause if the city isn’t happy, he noted.

Councillors Brian White, Adam Kilner and Anne Marie Gillis all said the Air Canada bus may be a significant opportunity. “It may create a bit of momentum and send a signal making sure that our airport is open for business,” White said.

Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport lost its last big carrier in 2020 when Air Canada shut down passenger service.  Since then, the city-owned airport has required subsidization up to $400,000 annually.