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Passenger flights resume at St. John’s airport, but officials say fix is temporary
January 19, 2022 By The Canadian Press
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Officials at the St. John’s International Airport say services will resume today after a labour dispute with firefighters forced widespread flight cancellations Tuesday night and into this morning.
But they warn the fix is temporary.
St. John’s airport needs plan by Thursday 8 a.m. to avoid ‘forced closure’: official
The airport authority announced Tuesday that as of 8 p.m., all flights except cargo, medical evacuation and planes with fewer than 20 seats would be suspended because of staffing shortages at the airport firehall.
The authority said in a tweet today that normal commercial operations have restarted at the airport, but the solution to the staffing shortage is not permanent.
The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees claims that a “campaign of harassment and discrimination” against firefighters has stifled concerns around safety and regulatory compliance and ultimately thinned their ranks.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said in a tweet early this morning that federal mediator Barney Dobbin had been brought in and was working with the parties through the night.
