HALIFAX — Chorus Aviation Inc. is riding a fledgling recovery in the airline business driven by the return of domestic traffic in Canada and abroad.
The company, which leases planes across the globe and provides regional service for Air Canada, says its fleet saw far greater use on both those fronts last quarter, with a further uptick on the near horizon.
Chief executive Joe Randell says its Jazz Aviation subsidiary carried more than doubled the number of passengers on its Air Canada routes in the third quarter than it did in the first half of the year.
He expects flying activity to reach about 75 to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter.
Chorus reported Wednesday a net loss of $14.1 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30 or eight cents per share compared with a profit of $20.5 million or 13 cents per in the same period last year.
Operating revenue hit $274.4 million in the quarter compared with $196.6 million a year earlier.
Adjusted net income rose to $15.3 million or nine cents per share, up from $10.9 million or seven cents per share from the third quarter of 2020.