As the federal government gears up to deliver relief measures for hard-hit industries, smaller airlines worry they’ll be left out.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that federal financing will be available to the country’s largest employers to help weather the COVID-19 economic crisis.
Loans will start at $60 million for companies with at least $300 million in annual revenues. Regional carriers, most of which fall far short of that threshold, fear they might go under without a tailor-made support program from Ottawa as border shutdowns and the collapse of global travel continue to choke off demand.
Flair Airlines, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Edmonton, has reduced its commercial fleet to one airplane since late March.