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The Regina airport is getting a helping hand from the federal government.
During a news conference Thursday morning, the government announced a subsidy of almost $16 million.
This comes as the airport has dealt with a slump in business and multiple big challenges throughout the pandemic.
Trent Fraser, the chair of the Regina Airport Authority, said it’s much-needed help.
“We’ve had a lot of curveballs thrown at us, there’s no doubt about that, but … truth be told, I’m very bullish on Regina International Airport … Our recovery has been better than we thought. We were in survival mode, no doubt, but every airport in Canada was probably in the same type of situation and certainly we see we have lots of optimism for the days ahead,” Fraser said.
Earl Spencer, the authority’s vice-president of operations and safety, explained the importance of the work they’ll be paying for with this subsidy.
“Runway 13-31, that’s our primary runway here at YQR Regina. Of course, we have about 90 per cent of our traffic on that runway, so it’s great that we have this support. It’s really critical at this point in time …,” he said.
“It’s been a challenging run for all airports, including Regina. So we’re appreciative of the support. It’s going to go a long way to help us in terms of continuing to operate safety, and aid us in the recovery. We’re all looking forward to better days ahead.”
Fraser also broke down what the airport’s business situation is as of early this year.
“In 2020, the decrease in passenger traffic (from) pre-pandemic levels was upwards of 80 to 90 per cent. Right now, I’m happy to say that our passenger traffic is somewhere around 50 per cent, which is actually above what we budgeted,” he said.
Of the nearly $16-million subsidy, $13.2 million will go towards infrastructure. It will pay for repairs and rehabilitation to the runway, including building new safety areas, lighting and replacing pavement.
An additional $2.6 million will go towards day-to-day operations.