Cancelling of Flights to Sydney Airport Detrimental to International Students

Cape Breton University Students’ Union President, Amrinder Singh, and Cape Breton University President, David C. Dingwall, are jointly calling on the Federal Government to restore air service to Sydney, NS. This is in response to Air Canada notifying the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport today that all flights to Sydney have been cancelled as of January 11, 2021.

“We were devastated to hear the news today that Air Canada suspended all operations from Sydney,” says Singh. “This will mean that students, many of whom will be coming to Canada for the first time, will have to land in Halifax and make the four-hour drive to Sydney, not knowing the roads and possibly in harsh winter conditions. This is just not acceptable.”

Singh and Dingwall are calling on government and our local representatives to do all they can to ensure service is restored to the Sydney Airport and can provide much-needed travel options for international students and all travellers. Sydney needs its airport and closing it should not be an option.

“Not only is the Sydney Airport crucial to the local area for economic and other reasons, for international students studying at CBU it is an absolutely essential service,” says Dingwall. “International students contribute more than $165 million to our local economy each year. If they cannot get to CBU that will have a major negative effect on our entire Island.”