Fight to flight: Group pushing petition to get Ireland access back

David Connors, like many Newfoundlanders, is proud of the close ties that the island has to Ireland and, for a while, the direct flight to get residents there.

But since WestJet cancelled the flight in Nov. 2018 people looking to head over to the Emerald Island have to head west first.

"[It] just doesn't make any sense," Connors said. "Here we are sitting on the edge of North America having to go to Halifax, or even Toronto, to fly to Ireland."

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Connors, who took the direct flight twice in the past three years before it was axed, is part of a group fighting to get direct air access to Ireland.

Newfoundland Ireland Direct formed on Facebook and soon after put a petition online, gathering more than 2,500 signatures. Nowthe grassroots group is holding a public meeting Sunday at the Benevolent Irish Society in St. John's.

"The purpose of the meeting is really to bring together the final portion of the petition," Connors said.

"We laid out a plan to present a petition to government to let them know that we really want them to support what we are doing."

Connors, who can trace his family tree back to his great-great-great-great-grandfather's grave in Ireland, says he finds the 4-hour flight a comfortable trip.

Now he has to go to Halifax and waiting for the overnight flight to Dublin.

"Being Newfoundlanders and having such a great connection to Ireland There is a steady flow of people back and forth," Connors said.

Destination St. John's backs that up; the tourism group started marketing to the United Kingdom three years ago.

"We went by the theme'Closer Than You Think' and that the fact that you could get here in 4 hours," said Destination St. John's CEO Cathy Duke.

"In our experience, once the visitor heard that, they were astounded that you could get to Canada in 4 hours."

Duke pointed out that up until early in 2018 there were three direct flights crossing the Atlantic Ocean to three airports in either Ireland or the U.K.

WestJet offered flights from St. John's to Dublin and to London's GatwickAirport, while Air Canada had a direct route into London's Heathrow Airport.

• Air Canada says Boeing 737 Max grounding will affect it into next year

Air Canada was forced to ground their flight due to the worldwide Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane issue. The airlinehas said it plans to have that service return when the problems have been fixed.

But as of now, there are no transatlantic flights from the city where Alcock and Brown made the historic first flight across the pond.

"[It's] very disappointing to us that after investing three years into the market we found ourselves with no direct flight," said Duke.

The St. John's International Airport Authority, through an email to CBC News, said its working to find an airline to fill the St. John's-Dublin route and that "the business case for a direct flight to Ireland is strong."

The statement goes on to say the authority won't comment further due to the competitive nature of the industry.

In the meantime, Ireland-loving travellers will have to wait in other Canadian airports to catch flights to Europe.

"It is more than disheartening, it's disappointing," Connors said.

"I feel sometimes what we are back to that second-hand Canadian attitude."

The Newfoundland Ireland Direct meeting on Sunday begins at 1:30 p.m.

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