Airport industry group calls for aid as pandemic lockdown chokes off revenue Most of the rest is en route to smaller airports, whose definition has been loosened temporarily to allow eight more sites to apply, from Prince George, B.C., to Gander, Nfld.The government previously announced $435 million roughly evenly split between airport rent relief and support for regional air transportation.The aviation industry has been among the hardest-hit sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, with profits and passenger numbers plummeting amid travel restrictions and border shutdowns..