Regional Air Transportation Initiative in British Columbia

The Regional Air Transportation Initiative (RATI) is a $206 million national initiative that aims to help regional air transportation ecosystems affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. It will support regional and local air carriers and airports that are critical regional transportation hubs or fill essential service gaps in British Columbia. This support will enable the air transportation system across British Columbia to remain operational through these difficult times and continue to support the economic growth of our communities.

On this page

• How and when to apply
• Eligible applicants
• Eligible activities could include
• Contact us
• Additional context

How and when to apply

• Current status of applicant period:  Closed
• The application period for the RATI initiative is now closed. Priority was provided to applications submitted by April 30, 2021.
• The initiative will end on March 31, 2022.

Eligible applicants

• regional and local airports
• regional and local air carriers
• businesses, cooperatives, business groups, not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) and public institutions that are part of the regional air transportation ecosystem

Eligible activities could include

• design and implementation of solutions or enhanced services to restore regional air transportation connectivity
• projects that support the reinstatement or addition of air routes to communities directly impacted by route suspensions
• operating costs and maintenance expenses related to restoring or enhancing air services

Note that activities that will not be supported under the RATI include compensation for revenue losses, refinancing of an existing debt, the purchase of an airplane, and airplane fuel.

Contact us

Contact us to know if your organization could be eligible or for any other questions on this initiative. We will be able to give you information and advice, while taking into consideration priorities for action in your region and the availability of funds.

Additional context

This 2-year national initiative is being delivered by Canada’s 7 regional development agencies (RDAs). The RATI is in addition to the measures in Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan and complements measures implemented by Transport Canada to support the air transportation sector.

The objective of the initiative is to contribute to the economic development of a community through the maintenance, restoration or addition of regional air service, and the increase in air passenger volumes.