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It appears the Regina airport is thriving.
Passenger foot-traffic at YQR last month was higher than pre-pandemic levels.
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“I am thrilled, we have had our fourth month now this year that we beat our old 2019 results,” said Regina Airport CEO James Bogusz.
He said on the Greg Morgan Morning Show, passenger traffic at YQR was up 2.9 per cent last month, compared to 2019.
Listen here for the full interview:
“That’s very promising when we look to the future.”
Bogusz said there are a few reasons for more people flying, including the price of travel and a growing population.
“We’ve got more events and conferences. We’re seeing some really exciting things happening in the city,” he said.
“The price of travel has been really reasonable. Different fare classes from WestJet, lots of flight options going to even the U.S. Many people are still travelling.”
Those factors added together, as Bogusz explained, brought reasonable growth from 2019.
It was an even bigger jump when comparing last month’s data to October last year, with Bogusz saying passenger traffic was up 4.7 per cent year over year.
While overall Canadian travel to the U.S. is down, many Canadians choose not to go to the U.S., and Bogusz said the situation is a bit different at YQR.
“Certainly you always want more passengers, but surprisingly, we continue to buck the trend.”
Bogusz said passenger traffic between Regina and the U.S. was up 37 per cent in October, year over year.
“It’s been pretty impressive. But keep in mind, we’re only talking about two aircraft a day, plus those seasonal flights that come in the winter.”
The two direct flights between Regina and the U.S. year-round are to Denver and Minneapolis.
With holiday travel approaching, Bogusz said they are seeing flights travel more frequently to popular destinations, including Cancun and Puerta Vallarta.
However, he said WestJet and Sunwing have pulled back a few flights this year, including to Varadero and Puerto Plata.
“Talking about the U.S., they are not going to be serving Orlando, apparently. They are not seeing the demand for it.”
