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Air Canada for airport?
09/03/08
BY ERIN FAWCETT
Red Deer Express
Regional Airport Red Deer officials will meet with Air Canada later this month to discuss the possibility of acquiring passenger service.
Liam O’Connell, CEO of the Regional Airport Red Deer said he has been in contact with officials at Air Canada Jazz who sound “very interested” in starting up passenger service at the airport.
Now, O’Connell and other airport officials need to meet with Air Canada to finalize an agreement.
“We have to talk to Air Canada to get them (Air Canada Jazz),” said O’Connell.
He added although officials with Air Canada Jazz aren’t saying much, they sound very positive about the prospect of doing business in Central Alberta.
“The mere fact that they’re talking to us says things are very positive, otherwise I don’t think they’d waste their time,” said O’Connell.
Airport officials hope if all goes well, service can be in place by April 1, 2009.
“With Jazz we’re looking at east west service,” said O’Connell. “Our thoughts would be Saskatoon, Red Deer and then onto Vancouver with a potential future service to Kelowna.”
O’Connell added if Air Canada Jazz does start up service at the airport, other carriers could be attracted to the market as well.
“What Air Canada brings to us is that it’s a brand name and there’s an east west connection that will work,” he said. “If anyone else is interested they are certainly more welcome to come here.”
O’Connell said the potential that Air Canada Jazz could come into the market is “huge” for Central Alberta.
“You’re talking about a lot of companies that would potentially locate here because now there’s air service,” he said. “You can now move executives around, you’re talking about time and you’re talking about exposing this whole area to people who currently don’t see it because they don’t fly in here. I think you’re going to see an explosion in interest in this area. Not to mention the tourism industry.
“We’re very positive about this; this is a really big development,”
In addition, the Regional Airport Red Deer’s application for a Canada Customs office has been denied by the federal government.
“We aren’t giving up,” said O’Connell. “We’re going to try for customs again – we’re going to keep pushing and pushing and pushing.”
The airport used to have a Canada Customs office about 25 years ago which was located in downtown Red Deer.
But it was lost due to lack of traffic.
“We’ll get it (a customs office). It’ll happen,” he said.
efawcett@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5457
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