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speakup

City councilors met with members of the Miramichi Airport Commission Tuesday to discuss how to work together to bring new business to the Miramichi Airport.

Mayor John McKay said he was pleased with the outcome of the first-ever meeting between the two groups.

“I think the meeting was very productive. It was the first time that I am aware of that city council and the airport commission sat down and had a good frank discussion about what we can do to enhance the airport and to attract new business and to improve the infrastructure and to market it as effectively as it can be,” he said.

The get-together, officially part of a General Committee of Council meeting, was conducted in committee of the whole, meaning the public and media were not allowed to witness the proceedings.

McKay said the commission was able to enlighten the council as to some of the activities at the airport.

He said 3,000 flights per year take off and land at the airport.

That includes courier flights, medivac, forest services and private flights.

“It’s an airport that is in use. [We] helped to reassure [the commission] that the city was anxious to promote the airport, that the city was anxious to work with the airport commission, because it is a municipal airport ...” McKay said.The meeting was prompted by a Feb. 24 presentation to city council by Imperial Air Transport Ltd.

President Ladislav Molnar told council at that time he wanted to use the runway for large cargo planes. He said he has a client lined up to fly from Frankfurt, Germany, to Miramichi and then on to Toronto.

In January, Molnar contacted the premier’s office regarding the plan. In return, he received a letter signed by Shawn Graham encouraging him to pursue the endeavor and to work with Business New Brunswick staff to develop it.

“As premier, I believe New Brunswick is a competitive environment for business development and we our committed to working with companies that want to be in New Brunswick,” Graham wrote, adding he looked forward to following the progress of the proposal.

The air cargo business is estimated to be worth $50 billion worldwide annually. Molnar said upgrades would be needed at the airport and it would have to be registered internationally. However, he also said the airport commission did not appear to be interested in the idea.

“They don’t want the business.”

Commission chair Ray Stinson disputed that notion, saying the commission is open for business.

He said the commission attempted to meet with Molnar, but was unsuccessful and added Molnar has yet to present the commission with a business plan.

McKay said Molnar’s business idea was discussed at the meeting.

“We certainly want to have a very aggressive approach to any new business that will come in and we were encouraged by the response of the premier that ... the principals ...

work with provincial officials ... We will be responding to Mr. Molnar as a consequence of his appearing before council,” McKay said, adding, “The airport commission is more than ready to discuss with him his business plan.”