General Objective

The goal of the Regional Air Access Program is to allow Quebecers to travel by air at an affordable price.

Eligible Applicants and Organizations – Component 2

• Only air carriers that serve one or more routes covered by the program
• To qualify, a carrier must meet the following conditions:
  • Hold a licence issued by the Canadian Transportation Agency to perform scheduled flights
  • Provide annual service on the air routes for which the Ministère provides financial assistance under the program. In order for the carrier to be considered to provide annual service, a minimum of one round-trip flight per week, per route, must be scheduled for every week of the year
• The following airlines are program participants:
  • Air Canada
  • Air Creebec
  • Air Inuit
  • Air Liaison​
  • PAL Airlines
    
  • Pascan Aviation​
    

Companies listed on the Register of Companies Not Eligible for Public Contracts (RENA – Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics) are not eligible for this program.

Component 2 - Set Maximum Airfare Pricing

Component 2 supports air carriers serving targeted routes by providing financial assistance to make airline tickets available at a maximum price of $500 round trip or $250 one way.

For each eligible ticket sold, financial assistance is paid directly to air carriers according to the calculation parameters set out in the program’s terms and conditions.

Specific Objective

The objective of Component 2 is to make affordable air travel available on the routes targeted by the program.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for financial assistance, tickets must be sold for travel between Montréal, Saint-Hubert, or Québec City airports and one of the following destinations:

• Baie-Comeau
• Basse-Côte-Nord (from Kegaska to Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon)
• Bonaventure
• Chibougamau
• Gaspé
• Havre-Saint-Pierre
• Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Mont-Joli
• Natashquan
• Port-Menier
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Saguenay-Bagotville
• Schefferville
• Sept-Îles
• Val-d’Or
• Wabush (Fermont)

Map of eligible air routes (June 2022) (French only)

List of available airlines by destination (April 2023) (French only)

The following tickets are not eligible for financial assistance:

• Those purchased or reimbursed by a legal entity (e.g., employer, company, organization, health centre, municipality, etc.)
• Travel that is not exclusively for personal reasons, including business or work-related travel
• Passengers with more than six one-way tickets in a fiscal year, i.e., from April 1 to March 31. One round trip is equivalent to two one-way trips
• For a trip made more than six months after the reservation
• Trips taken before the program’s effective date of June 1, 2022

In the event of a false claim by a passenger, with respect to the above, the passenger agrees to reimburse the Ministère directly for any amounts paid by the Ministère to the carrier for the sale of that ticket under Component 2. The passenger will also be excluded from the Regional Air Access Program for the duration of the program if they misrepresent their eligibility.

The program is also open to travellers who do not reside in Québec. However, during the course of the program, the Ministère may limit the sale of tickets to Québec residents after giving 60 days’ notice via publication on its website and communication sent to air carriers participating in the program.

Financial Aid Grid

The amount of financial assistance provided to participating carriers for each eligible ticket is predetermined for each eligible route. For more details, please consult the Financial Aid Grid by Route​ (French only).

Maximum Ticket Price

In order for a ticket to be eligible for financial assistance, it must be sold at a maximum price—at the time of the program’s effective date (including airport and air security fees and taxes)—of:

• $500 round trip
• $250 one way

For the duration of the regulatory framework, the maximum price may be adjusted, on April 1 of each year, according to the annual change in the all items average consumer price index for Québec, excluding alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and recreational cannabis, for the 12-month period ending on September 30 of the year preceding the year for which the price is to be adjusted.

During the course of the program, if an increase in airport and air security fees is applied directly to the ticket, the maximum sale price may increase by the same amount as these fees and still be eligible for financial assistance.

Submitting a Request – Component 2

Carriers wishing to obtain financial assistance must submit a request to the Ministère specifying, for each route, the frequency of flights and the type of aircraft used. The Ministère may request any additional information it deems relevant to the calculation of the monthly ticket allowance per route.

Requests should be sent to transport.aerien@transports.gouv.qc.ca from the carrier’s email address.

Following Up on a Request – Component 2

To check the status of your request or add supporting documents, please contact transport.aerien@transports.gouv.qc.ca.

Request for Information

For more information, please contact the Ministère:

By phone:

• 418-266-6647, option 1 (Québec City area)
• 1-888-717-8082, option 1 (toll-free in Québec and elsewhere in North America)

By email:

Component 2 - Set Maximum Airfare Pricing
Contact: transport.aerien@transports.gouv.qc.ca.

Documentation

Notice to persons with disabilities: The forms in this section may contain accessibility barriers. You can get help by contacting the Ministère. See above.

• Terms and conditions (French only)

​Component 2 - Set Maximum Airfare Pricing

• Map of eligible air routes (French only)
• Financial aid grid by route​ (French only)