New airport south of the border doesn’t pose threat to Regina airport

A new airport has opened up just south of the U.S.-Canada border in North Dakota, boasting two of the direct flights Regina’s airport has lost in recent years.

But the head of the Regina airport isn’t worried.

In October, the Williston Basin International Airport opened in Williston, N.D. The city is about 300 kilometres south of Regina.

It runs daily flights by Delta and United airlines to and from Denver and Minneapolis. The Regina International Airport lost its direct flights to Minneapolis in 2016, and lost its direct flights to Denver in 2014.

James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina International Airport, isn’t concerned about the closer competition. But he said there will be what he calls “leakage” for any Canadian airport when there’s another just over the border.

“(Those are) folks who may live in Canada that may travel down south to look for a flight within the U.S. or perhaps looking for cheaper fares,” said Bogusz.

As for how an airport in Williston (which has a population of about 25,000) can support direct flights while they were removed from Regina (which has a population of almost 230,000) Bogusz said it could have something to do with the fact U.S. airports are structured differently.

He said in the U.S., taxpayers fund much of the operations in airports while in Regina it’s a user-pay system. Bogusz couldn’t speak specifically to the situation in Williston, but said it could also be eligible for government subsidies.

He wished the new airport the best of luck, but also wanted to remind fliers in Saskatchewan that when they fly out of Regina, their money stays in the local community.

“The economic impact and your business that you bring through the terminal by travelling here to any destination benefits the local economy,” he said. “So when you do travel south of the border, although possibly the fares are lower depending on where you’re going, just always remember when you spend in Saskatchewan, the money stays in Saskatchewan (and) makes a big difference for all of us.”

Bogusz said he’s working hard to bring another direct-to-U.S. flight back to Regina’s airport. He said he knows how important re-establishing those non-stop flights are and talks are ongoing.

“Obviously it’s commercially sensitive so I can’t speak to the specifics on what those offers are, but what I can say is they’re very aggressive and we continue to have dialogue — but ultimately it’s their choice. We can’t force them to fly here, because if I could, they’d already be in the Queen City,” said Bogusz.

In August, the Regina airport was approved for a large tax exemption from the city and said it will use that money to attract a direct flight.