Sydney-Halifax flights returning to J.A. Douglas McCurdy airport in October

Flights between Sydney, N.S., and Halifax are back after a nearly two-year absence, breathing new life into a regional airport that's been battered and bruised since a global pandemic put a big dent in the airline industry.

Quebec-based carrier Pascan Aviation is now selling tickets on return flights between Sydney and the capital, with flights starting on Oct. 7.

J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport CEO Myles Tuttle was all smiles after the announcement in front of more than 100 people inside the terminal on Thursday.

"It's been a challenge, one after another," he said.

COVID-19 temporarily grounded the industry and Sydney's airport never got a chance to recover. WestJet left the market and Air Canada stopped all flights for a time.

Air Canada resumed with direct flights to Toronto and Montreal, but WestJet hasn't come back.

The airport was hit hard by post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022 and its tenacious and well-liked CEO Mike MacKinnon died.

Tuttle said it's about time for some good news.

"It's been a long time in the works and there's been even longer community demand for that, so we're really excited to deliver to our community today."

For 25 years, Pascan has flown to multiple destinations in Quebec and Labrador, and earlier this year announced service in New Brunswick, from Bathurst and Saint John to Halifax.

CEO Julian Roberts said Pascan has been eyeing the Sydney market for some time.

When WestJet and Air Canada stopped offering flights between Halifax and Sydney in 2022, that created an opening, he said.

"There was a huge market share there and now it's there for the taking," Roberts said. "Nobody is doing it, so why not?

"There were 36,000 people that used that service back in 2020, so all we really need is half of that to make our two flights work."