Federal axing of Wabush Airport fire crew based on bad data, critics say

Fire services at the Wabush Airport have been extinguishedbecause ofa federal policy that axes airport crews when passenger numbers dip below a specific number.

For Ryan Connolly, who worked at the airport for more thansix years, cutting that service puts passengers and crew landing in Wabush at risk.

In an emergency, he said, crews need to be on site and at the ready.

"If an aircraft comes down, or if there's an engine fire or a fuel spill that turns into a fire you have 90 seconds before the flames will impinge on the aircraft through the aircraft skin," Connolly said.

"Aircraft fuel burns very violently. So if we're not there to control it from the get-go, people might not even have an exit to get off the aircraft."

Transport Canada has a strict 180,000 annual passenger threshold for mandating fire services in airports. The agency doesn't require facilities with less traffic to be staffed by fire crews.

"Given passenger volumes at the Wabush Airport are not expected to reach 180,000 in the foreseeable future, there is no regulatory requirement to provide the service," the agency said in a statement, noting that by its own count, traffic has been down since 2014.

The agency said it had "engaged with the Wabush and surrounding municipalities" to find ways to prevent mishaps. It would not provide an interview.

Data questionable: MHA

Connolly, also a union member who said he often called airlines for information, says traffic had actually increased since this spring.

"According to Transport Canada, they say the numbers weren't there," he said. "But the numbers here actually grew. Their numbers are wildly inaccurate."

Labrador West MHA Jordan Brown also questioned the agency's data.

"Right now Transport Canada is pretty stuck to their guns on the numbers that they're using, that are five or six years old," he said. "It's disheartening and disappointing to see that they don't want to engage with the public."

Brown said he told the agency that the town of Wabush would not provide fire services at the airport. "I don't even think their statement is factually correct," he said.

Emergencies at the Wabush Airport will become the dominion of whichever fire crew is nearby all of them now far enough away that response times would take 15 minutes at minimum, Connolly said.

"We needed to be able to make it from whatever we were doing, dressed, to the midpoint of the runway in three minutes or less," he said.

Neighbouring crews gave the Wabush Airport Fire Department a sendoff Friday morning, Connolly's last shift.

"The rug got pulled out from under us," he said. "It was a bit of a shock."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador