Letter: Medicine Hat needs to be a hub, not a spoke
By Letter to the Editor on March 4, 2026.
Dear editor, The departure of WestJet on June 24 is a wake-up call for Medicine Hat. For over a decade, our airport has been managed as a “feeder” to Calgary – a model that has clearly failed. While other regional airports in Canada are growing by recruiting diverse carriers like Porter or Delta, YXH remains stuck with two gates and a “bus stop” mentality. We generate 375,000 regional trips a year, yet 90 per cent of us drive to Calgary. Why? Because we haven’t built a “Destination Hub” like Kelowna. Our 2018 expansion was a band-aid, not a cure. It’s time for mayor and council to stop relying on the same old strategies and demand a real expansion that puts Medicine Hat back on the map. We need a hub, not a spoke. Mike Van Schaick Medicine Hat 5-4
Why can’t an airline fly an early morning round trip calgary to lethbridge to medicine hat to calgary and then fly a late night round trip calgary to lethbridge to medicine hat to calgary to service both communities, a full plane of customers, and a decent schedule that works?