Fogo Island air service making progress

GANDER, NL – A major component in establishing a Fogo Island air service is now in place.
On Friday, March 9, EVAS Air received approval from Transport Canada to operate a Twin Otter aircraft service to the island. 
While EVAS Air specializes in the Beech 1900D, the company purchased the Twin Otter to offer commercial flight services to residents and visitors of Fogo Island.
EVAS Air president and CEO Patrick White said now the training begins.
“We had been waiting for some time to get that approval in place, but now the agenda is in our hands,” White said. “We have to get someone in here to do the training, but very soon that Fogo Island express aircraft will be in the air.”
He’s hopeful the first Fogo Island flights can take place before the end of March.
The tentative schedule has two flights per day lined up – one in the morning, with a second in the afternoon. The cost of a one-way flight is set at $125, with the possibility of a shuttle service.
EVAS Air has also been reaching out to groups and organizations to look at establishing a courier service to try to enhance freight shipment.
While White doesn’t expect to get rich on two 20-minute flights per day, he always felt a Fogo Island flight service out of Gander was needed. 
He was adamant in stating it’s not about going into competition with the province’s ferry service.
“This is an alternate means of transportation that we sincerely hope will be of value to the people of Fogo Island, but it is not in competition with the ferry service whatsoever,” he said. “However, when the ferry is out of service, the government should now be able to put a load-and-go format in place that would supplement or help the ferry service.”
Eugene Nippard, citizens’ representative for the Fogo Island Transportation Committee, said the service is a welcome addition to the island.
He said an established air service would help stabilize transportation to and from the island given the provincial ferry’s past mechanical problems.
“There has been some questions about the cost, but we think we’ll overcome that and it will still be used by people looking to make their appointments, travelling tourists, and people working turnarounds off the island,” said Nippard.