New BC commuter airline providing emergency air delivery to remote communities
A new commuter airline in BC is hoping to stay in the skies by pivoting its operations to Rapid Emergency Air Delivery (READY) services to support remote communities across the province.
According to a release, Cascade Air says these new cargo services are needed to help smaller communities retain their supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and support their economic recovery.
Prior to the pandemic, the airline had established plans to launch commercial air-taxi flights.
“COVID-19 is a global crisis with an unprecedented impact on all of us. This is a time where we all need to step up and help others, however we can,” said Jeremy Barrett, COO and Chief Pilot of Cascadia Air, in a statement.
“At this time, our only focus is making our READY services available to support towns and remote communities across BC. Even as the province plans to reopen its economy in the coming weeks, we believe it will take much longer for certain supply chains and services to go back to normal and this crisis is unfortunately far from over.”
The new service during the crisis is aided by Cascadia’s operation of using separate aircraft dedicated to carrying personnel and cargo supplies capable of landing on smaller unpaved airstrips.
As well, to promote physical distancing, flights transporting essential personnel have a 60% seating capacity.
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