Richmond, BC – Pacific Coastal Airlines is implementing a fuel surcharge for all bookings made or changed on or after Monday, February 19, 2018.

“Although we are always working to reduce operational costs, there are some cost items that remain outside of our control and fuel prices are one of them,” says Pacific Coastal Airlines President Quentin Smith. “Over the past several years there has been a significant increase in the cost of aviation fuel and we are now adding a fuel surcharge to cover this unanticipated increase.”

To date, Pacific Coastal has absorbed these ongoing fuel cost increases to shield its customers from their impact. However, the increased cost of aviation fuel has now reached an untenable level and the company is adding this uncontrollable cost of operation as a Fuel Surcharge that will be displayed as an additional cost line item during the online booking process and will be clearly identified on the itinerary received by its customers upon completion of their bookings.

The surcharge is not meant to be permanent and may fluctuate based on the cost of aviation fuel. The company will remove the surcharge once aviation fuel prices return to levels at or near the forecasted fuel price originally used to determine base fares. This is the first time since April 2011 that Pacific Coastal has implemented a surcharge, which was removed as soon as aviation fuel prices stabilized.

Aviation Fuel Price Facts

• Since August of 2016, Pacific Coastal has seen fuel costs rise by 21.8% – an annual cost increase of approximately $2.2 million dollars to the airline each year.
• A 1 cent increase in the cost of aviation fuel adds a corresponding increase of $120,000.00 to Pacific Coastal Airlines’ operational cost.

About Pacific Coastal Airlines

A privately owned, British Columbia based regional airline operating from Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal (YVR), Pacific Coastal is now the sixth-largest airline operating at YVR, based on outbound seats, and third largest in takeoffs and landings. It flies to 16 airports and with its affiliate airline Wilderness Air located in Port Hardy on north Vancouver Island, connects to more than 50 additional destinations in the province from as far east as Cranbrook in the Rocky Mountains, as far north as Prince George, or Masset on the legendary island of Haida Gwaii. Its network encompasses major ski destinations, a multitude of fishing lodges, outdoor and wildlife adventure tours, and authentic First Nations experiences.

Media contact:
Kevin Boothroyd, Director Business Development and Corporate Communications

(M) 604.833.6265 (W) 604.214.2388
E-mail:kevin.boothroyd@pacificcoastal.com