Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport.
In reply to an opposition question, the minister said that Canadian Airlines International and its partner, Alitalia, had ceased operations at Mirabel because of insufficient passenger volume between Montreal and Rome. However, Air Canada has applied for permission to operate this route.
Considering the sizable Italian community in Montreal and the fact that there is a real market for flights between Montreal and Rome, does the Minister of Transport intend to make an exception to his policy for allocating international routes and accede to Air Canada's request so as to provide a direct link between these two cities?