A North American international flight lasting less than 20 minutes will take to the skies next month from the Friday Harbor Airport on San Juan Island, WA. Receiving official clearance for flight this week, Friday Harbor Airport, will be able to have flights to Victoria, Canada. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and Victoria on Vancouver Island have a distance of only 20 miles between them. Yet, travel options are limited.  

Driving from San Juan Island to Vancouver Island would take a whole day and charter flights cost more than $300. Because of the international border and a strait that separates them, travelers were forced to either pay up, or spend a whole day on the road.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

“I didn’t understand why it was so close, but we couldn’t get there,” Hughes said to the Seattle Times.

To solve the problem at hand, agencies in the U.S. as well as Canada have worked together to allow Border Patrol (CBP) and U.S. customs to check in passengers for these flights. This week, Friday Harbor Airport officially is clear for flight. A Canadian airline is still waiting for FAA approval and will most likely be able to book passengers by next month.

 “We’re in a remote part of the state where we’re closer to Canada than the [mainland] United States, so we spend a lot of time with our cohorts across the border,” Hughes said to the Seattle Times.

Prices will begin at $49 for a one-way ticket (nine-passenger plane). This is a huge deal considering driving would cost around $130. This allows travelers, especially frequent travelers, ease of access and less stress on the wallet.