ESTEVAN - The past few years have not been kind to the Regina International Airport and the airline industry in general, but strides are being made in the recovery.
James Bogusz, who is the president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority (RAA), addressed a few dozen people at a luncheon hosted by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce on Thursday at the Days Inn. Bogusz told the crowd that the authority appreciates the Estevan area and what it does for the province, and he described the Estevan area as a "primary catchment city" for the airport.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought "a lot of devastation" to the airline industry, he said, but it's in a better place than it was three years ago, and it's taken a long time to get to this point. Even a year ago, there were lots of stories about flights being cancelled and lost luggage, and tales of people having a tough time travelling amid vaccine mandates and the ArriveCan app. Advocacy efforts helped bring an end to the vaccine mandates, he said.
"There's still people I meet today who won't get on a plane, for their own reasons. It could be price, it could be COVID, it could be something else. But limiting our market limits our economic opportunity. We had to stop," said Bogusz.
COVID also hindered the possibility of getting an airline from the U.S. to return to Regina, he said, because American planes couldn't legally land in Canada. The Regina airport was down to two per cent capacity in 2020. Now airlines in the U.S. are talking about being at capacity, while WestJet is picking up routes that would be handled by U.S. carriers.
Bogusz said Regina is fortunate to be so close to Calgary, which he called a "global hub" for WestJet that can take passengers almost anywhere in the world. But if the RAA can get an American airline, it adds additional opportunities.
"This is an important topic for many of us. I hope many of you in the room agree that this is worth going after, getting a connection back daily," said Bogusz, who would like to see two flights a day, with destinations like Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver.
Collaboration efforts are underway to give incentives for a U.S. airline to come to Regina as soon as possible, and the question is when, not if, they can get someone to come.
Airlines have also encountered challenges with staff shortages.
Bogusz said the cost of flying is more affordable than it was a year ago, and people have more travel options. WestJet now flies non-stop from Regina to Kelowna, B.C., and there are more flights to Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.
He also delved into some of the low-cost airlines, such as Lynx, Porter and Flair, and subsidiary airlines, like Swoop and Sunwing.
"There's a lot of competition … and as much as it doesn't feel like it all of the time … everybody's doing their best. Whether you're waiting a long time for your bag, they don't want to lose your bag, they don't want to pay you out through the Passenger Bill of Rights, I can assure you," he said.
These carriers are trying to compete with WestJet and Air Canada by offering a low rate with no frills. The Regina Airport Authority is trying to attract them, and now that people are travelling more, the authority wants to have as many options as possible.
"We hope that by the end of '24, we'll be talking about growth again," said Bogusz. "Right now, we're hovering around 89 or 85 per cent passengers."
Bogusz recapped some of the improvements that are being made to the airport, such as a $26 million upgrade to the runways that includes resurfacing, lighting and drainage. The work is happening through support from the federal government.
He said people can look forward to new kiosks that will be installed at the airports for self-check-in purposes, and new merchants in the main terminal area. Bus service has also been added to the airport as part of a three-year commitment with the City of Regina.
Bogusz also praised the Estevan Regional Airport, which he has toured and called the nicest small airport he has ever seen.
"It looks like a mini international airport. You guys are blessed to have it here," said Bogusz.
