NORTH BAY -- A report to North Bay city council shows the Jack Garland Airport is asking for financial aid to help it operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air Canada and Bearskin Airlines have suspended flights for the time being.
The airport is predicting about 80 per cent of income has been lost and without passengers, money is drying up quickly.
"The airport is funded through passenger landing fees. None of that revenue is coming into the airport," said City Counc. Chris Mayne, who sits on the airport's board.
Mayne says cargo planes, Voyaguer Airways and MedEvacs are still operating at the airport.
A report to the city is asking the airport receive a monthly subsidy of up to $200,000 to help it operate.
If approved by council, the subsidy would last until the end of the year.
Council will also decide to redirect up to $400,000 of capital funding to airport operations.
"I expect the city will be agreeable to that. That will get us through to the end of August," said Mayne.
"Past that, there are not pots of cash available anymore. At that point, we really need to request from the city ongoing financial support."
If council votes against the report, the airport would have no choice but to close down on July 1, according to the staff report.
"To resume in the future, we would need a complete re-certification process. All airports are going through this," said Mayne.
Mayne says the re-certification process is difficult to navigate and would take a significant amount of time to complete in order to re-open the airport.
Council will vote on the motion at its April 21 virtual meeting.
