Red rock cliffs and a crowded beach in Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
Veuillez attacher votre ceinture et ranger la tablette. Starting Wednesday, June 1, there are new options for cheap flights within Quebec. The government is collaborating with six airlines to cap the price of certain trips from Montreal, Quebec City and Saint-Hubert to select destinations in outlying regions. Eligible tickets will be $250 one-way and $500 round-trip.
The measure is part of a program first announced in April to reduce the cost of air travel to more remote areas and encourage tourism.
The eligible destinations are:
- Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region;
- Mont-Joli in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region;
- Baie-Comeau, Fermont (via Wabush, Labrador), Havre-Saint-Pierre, Natashquan, Sept-Îles, Schefferville, and several other small coastal cities on the Côte-Nord mainland, as well as Port-Menier on Île-d'Anticosti;
- Bonaventure and Gaspé in Gaspésie;
- the Îles-de-la-Madeleine;
- Chibougamau in the Nord-du-Québec region;
- and Saguenay-Bagotville in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Reduced-price flight tickets will be available on the websites of participating carriers, Air Canada
, Air Creebec, Air Inuit, Air Liaison, PAL Airlines, and Pascan Aviation. Though it's unclear at the time of writing exactly which flights are covered as of June 1.
All the flight itineraries that will be eligible for the price-cap program are mapped below.
Map showing routes and destinations officials plan to make eligible for the $500 cap on prices for round-trip air tickets.Government of Quebec
There's a limit of six reduced-price flights (six one-way or three round-trip) per person per year between April 1 and March 31.
In addition to the price cap, Quebec will offer flight cost reimbursements of between 30% and 60% to residents of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Côte-Nord, Eeyou Istchee Baie-James, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
"The revival of tourism in Quebec depends, among other things, on greater accessibility to our territory and its attractions," Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx said in a press release.
The reduced-price program, she continued, "will allow Quebecers to explore our regions at an affordable price and to take advantage of an increasingly attractive tourism offer. It will also promote Quebec as a must-see tourist destination, something we can be proud of!"
