Saturday’s last Porter Airlines flight in to and out of Stephenville was bittersweet for some as passengers and their families said goodbye for another while.
The Christmas and New Year’s holiday season flights were welcomed by many in the Bay St. George area and beyond since family members could get home without having to make the Trans-Canada Highway run in sometimes dangerous winter conditions.
People in Stephenville airport meeting the flights talked about how convenient it was to have their friends come in without having to make an hour to two-hour run, depending on where they were coming from.
For those coming from Halifax and beyond, they felt great not having to impose on family to come and pick them up or have that run themselves during hours when very few, if any, plows are on the roads.
Wayne Brake of Montreal, who came home to spend time with family during the New Year’s season, said it was just ideal to come into Stephenville and minutes later be in the home of family members.
He said had he not been able to fly into Stephenville airport that he wouldn’t have visited home at all at this time of year.
That sentiment rang through for many people at the airport saying they were just so glad to be home for the season.
There were very good loads on the Porter flights during the Christmas season and they were obviously much appreciated by those who were flying.
It was in 2018 that Porter increased its return flights into Stephenville airport to 50 a year during it fifth year of service in the town.
In addition to Halifax flights, connections with Ottawa and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the same aircraft were available. Other destinations in the Porter network, including Montreal, are accessible from these points.
Christmas season flights were introduced for the first time in 2017, after four years of popular summer service.
The people of the area and those originally from the area living away certainly appreciate what Porter is offering and will keep supporting the airline if it keeps providing the service they want into Stephenville airport.
