Media Room

(Note to Editors: Due to the present flight restrictions into the United States for passengers traveling on foreign-flag air carriers, the Joint E.M.O. forces of the Halifax Regional Municipality, The Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada have identified options for those passengers traveling on foreign-flag flights diverted to Halifax on Tuesday. The following communique was released to all H.R.M. Emergency Shelters.)

Communique

To All Passengers Traveling on Foreign Flag Air Carriers Diverted to Halifax

As you may know by now, only United States registered air carriers are being permitted to land at American airports now opened to commercial flights.

That means only those U.S. carrier flights (Delta, Continental, US Airways, etc) diverted to Halifax on Tuesday will be permitted entry into the United States. Halifax International Airport has increased its resources overnight and today, so it is anticipated the time to process passengers will be reduced.

H.R.M. has been advised that some foreign-flag carriers have already made the decision to return to their point of origin (Paris, Munich, London, etc) and many others are expected to do so throughout the day. As a result, many passengers scheduled to fly on foreign-flag carrier flights are refusing to board flights returning to their point of origin or are refusing to leave the H.R.M. emergency shelters.

In order to provide some options to these passengers, the Joint Emergency Measures Organizations of Halifax Regional Municipality, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada are working with private sector land and sea carriers to find alternate routes into the United States.

The following will be AT COST TO YOU:

• Local bus companies are prepared to organize charter service on air-conditioned highway buses to the Town of Yarmouth, approximately three hours by road from Halifax .Providing there is enough passenger interest, the estimated cost per passenger is $29 CDN plus taxes.

The Port of Yarmouth is the Canadian terminal for both the high-speed catamaran ferry service (known locally as "The Cat") to Bar Harbour, Maine, and the Scotia Prince ferry service to Portland, Maine.

• "The Cat" ferry service, which departs Yarmouth for Bar Harbour at 15:45 p.m. on Saturday (September 15^th), can accommodate approximately 200 passengers. Cost is $55 US for adults; $50 US for seniors; $25 US for children; and free passage for children under five years of age.
• The Scotia Prince, which departs Yarmouth for Portland on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m., can accommodate 700 passengers. Individual rate is $76 US per person. (Note: there are approximately 600 spaces available on the Sunday morning crossing.)

• Should you choose the bus/ferry route to enter the United States, all accommodation, meal and other costs in the Town of Yarmouth are at your expense.
• For those passengers who chose not to return to the United States via bus/ferry service, commercial hotel and motel rooms are now available at your cost in the Halifax area. The telephone number for Check Inn Nova Scotia Reservations is 425-5781 or 1-800-565-0000.

H.R.M. wishes to advise passengers now accommodated at the 18 emergency shelters throughout the metro Halifax area that local agencies will be winding down and closing these centers as flights depart.

On behalf of the citizens of H.R.M. and the Province of Nova Scotia, we wish you a safe journey.