Sydney airport gets $2.7M in federal pandemic relief

The J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport is getting $2.7 million from the federal government to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flights at the regional airport were shut down throughout the winter, forcing the airport authority to cut staff and operations and use reserve funds for capital improvements just to stay afloat.

Flights resumed in and out of Sydney this month, but they are limited.

CEO Mike MacKinnon said the federal relief funds will help bridge the gap until airlines get back to full flight schedules.

"We're an airport, we can burn through money pretty quickly, but ... it let's us continue to keep the lights on and pay the bills and keep our staff and as air service ... continues to grow and build back up, we'll be looking at what else we can do," he said.

The federal government created a new fund earlier this year to help airports remain in operation after being shut down by the pandemic.

Mike Kelloway, the Liberal MP for Cape Breton-Canso, said the airport is vital for economic and social development.

It is an important transportation link for recreation, business and tourism and has also helped grow the local population, he said.

"Cape Breton University is a juggernaut in terms of bringing newcomers here to learn, but many of those newcomers want to stay and they want to bring colleagues and friends and family," Kelloway said.

"Without an airport, that becomes a difficult challenge."

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