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For some, summer travel means road trips, lake days and backyard barbecues. For others, it means a suitcase by the door and a boarding pass in hand.
At Regina International Airport (YQR), the summer travel rush is showing up in the numbers.
Despite concerns around rising jet fuel prices and pressure on airline capacity, James Bogusz, Regina Airport CEO, said passenger demand has been stronger than expected.
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“I got to tell you, I was blown away with the travel demand in June,” he said. “We saw an 8.3 percent year-over-year increase, June to June.”
While domestic travel remains a major part of the airport’s activity, Bogusz says cross-border travel is also showing strength.
“(We also saw a) 4 per cent increase in trans-border travel,” Bogusz said.
He said International travel patterns can vary throughout the year, but the numbers suggest travellers are continuing to make vacation plans. The increase comes during a time when airlines across the industry have been adjusting schedules and managing higher operating costs, Bogusz explained.
“People are out there travelling. It was phenomenal for YQR,” he said of last month.
Bogusz said travellers may have noticed some changes to flight schedules this summer, with airlines adjusting capacity due to costs and demand.
“The consolidation is already in effect,” he said. “So that included June as well, and that basically means a few percent points down in total seat capacity.”
He noted those changes have been relatively minor, with some routes seeing temporary reductions rather than long-term cuts. Flights to Minneapolis and Halifax, for example, have been reduced temporarily but are expected to return to daily service in the fall, Bogusz said.
“WestJet’s actually been upgauging, (which) simply mean(s) (they are) putting on slightly bigger jets on some of their domestic routes due to all this demand. So we’re seeing some mitigation of that.”
Upgauging can refer to airlines substituting small planes with larger ones, or adding extra seats to existing planes.
While airlines adjust schedules, Bogusz said the airport itself is making improvements inside the terminal.
“We are actively working on our gate project, (on) gates six, seven, and eight, targeting the end of summer for completion,” Bogusz explained. “This means we’re going to have an expanded upper hold room, giving a little more space for passengers.”
Bogusz said the timing is designed to have the work completed before the beginning of fall.
“This will be (done) just in time for the winter season when all our charter flights start back up to sunny places like Mexico,” he said, noting that those looking to book their trips for winter will see those flights announced soon.
“Generally, the airlines will provide us their schedule updates often toward the end of July,” Bogusz said “So, hopeful we’ll have that, and push out their information through our social media channels when that comes.”
