Beginning the week of Jan. 19 the city will be collecting online data from residents around the future of the regional airport. Committee members heard Thursday the airport has a near 100 per cent flight completion rating since WestJet switched aircrafts in 2024.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com
City staff will soon launch an online survey to collect data from residents on the Medicine Hat Regional Airport, as well as share ideas about upcoming infrastructure projects.
During a city committee meeting Thursday city staff said they launched a strategic plan and impact study update on the airport and will host city councillors for a visit in the near future to show behind-the-scenes operations.
Additionally, beginning the week of Jan. 19, the city will host a public survey on the ‘Shape your City’ webpage.
Members of the development and infrastructure committee heard from airport manager Logan Boyd that since WestJet brought in its larger 78-seat Q4000 aircraft to the airport in the fall of 2024, flight competition rates have been nearly “perfect.”
“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the performance and the time performance and the number of flights completed is almost 100 per cent, and that is a big improvement,” explained Boyd. “With the prior aircraft we did not have anywhere near that kind of completion performance.”
This data is key and represents 360 flights each year, says Boyd, in promoting the region’s business case to continue operations in the future.
“Promoting our region and trying to grow our services is actually going directly to the carriers. So that’s all about having good data and good business care about why carriers should continue to serve our region.
Committee members heard the airport is actively trying to promote all the services it offers. Along with commercial flights, the airport serves as a hub for flight schools and local medevac services.
Boyd also provided members of the committee an update on the funding model around the municipally owned and operated airport.
Funding for airport operations comes directly from the taxpayer, however last year the airport generated $700,000 in revenue to offset the cost.
The airport has received a total of approximately $20 million for the federal government for safety critical infrastructure and equipment projects. This funding pays for 100 per cent of the cost of these projects.
Most recently, the airport secured $400,000 in funding from Ottawa two years ago to purchase a new loader used for airport operations.
“The federal government funding we receive is project based, infrastructure, heavy equipment generally,” added Boyd.
Prior to launching the online public feedback survey the regional airport will be the host for the Tigers game against the Prince Albert Raiders on Jan. 17 and will highlight the use and optimization of the airport to hockey fans.
For flights to Calgary, the big problem with the new schedule is WestJet only has flights leaving Med Hat at 3:45PM and arriving in Calgary at 4:40PM. The problem with this is the entire day is wasted and all the early connections for flights leaving Calgary have already left so you might as well waste a day in Calgary staying at a hotel because you wont get to your destination until its too late to do anything worth while.
For flights returning to Med Hat, the big problem with the schedule is Westjet only has return flights leaving Calgary at 2:05PM and landing in Med Hat at 3:11PM. The problem with this is the return flight leaves Calgary too early so no later connection flights can catch the return flight to Med Hat. So now you have to leave destination extra early or you have to stay at a hotel in Calgary.
The original flight schedule was perfect for everyone. Leave Med Hat at 7:00AM and arrive in Calgary at 8:00AM so you could catch early connection flights in Calgary going to Mexico, US, or eastern Canada, and still arrive at your destination at a reasonable time so your not wasting a full day. Or if your working in Calgary you have a full day to work and return Med Hat later the same night.
The original flight schedule returning to Medicine Hat was perfect for everyone. Leave Calgary around 7:30PM and arrive in Medicine Hat at 8:30PM so the return flight was actually late enough in the day for connection flights to make it in time to Calgary. If you working in Calgary you could complete your work day and make it home the same day.
I currently work in the natural gas industry at a remote site North of Fort St John and this new schedule does not work for any of my connection flights. Arriving in Calgary at 4:40PM is too late to make my Fort St John connections. On the return flight to Med Hat, leaving Calgary at 2:05PM is too early in the day to make the incoming connection from Fort St John.
So now I am forced to drive to Calgary because connections flights don’t work.
In the May 3, 2024 news article “Smith eyes incentives to entice airlines to regional airports” the article says Danille Smith wants to draw remote workers to live in Med Hat. Here is the quote from the article:
“That could draw industry and remote workers to areas outside major centres, she said, but access to air travel is a necessity for high-tech centres and global trade industries.”
With the current schedule Danielle Smiths goal is not being achieved. If you need to do a quick round trip to Calgary for work that’s not possible. If your a remote camp worker the connections leave to early in the morning before the plane even leaves Medicine Hat. I don’t get why anyone going on a vacation would want to fly out Medicine Hat when you arrive in Calgary at 4:40PM and then fly out of Calgary on your connection likely around 7PM at the earliest.
I commented to WestJet directly and they said that I don’t understand how a small regional airline works. Well the schedule use to work for me and I loved flying out of Medicine Hat. The new schedule doesn’t work and now I drive to Calgary. They have lost a customer and revenue.
If anything West Jet should have made the flight leaving Med Hat even earlier than 7:00AM something like 6:00AM or 6:30AM not make the flight leave later 3:45PM.
For flights to Calgary, the big problem with the new schedule is WestJet only has flights leaving Med Hat at 3:45PM and arriving in Calgary at 4:40PM. The problem with this is the entire day is wasted and all the early connections for flights leaving Calgary have already left so you might as well waste a day in Calgary staying at a hotel because you wont get to your destination until its too late to do anything worth while.
For flights returning to Med Hat, the big problem with the schedule is Westjet only has return flights leaving Calgary at 2:05PM and landing in Med Hat at 3:11PM. The problem with this is the return flight leaves Calgary too early so no later connection flights can catch the return flight to Med Hat. So now you have to leave destination extra early or you have to stay at a hotel in Calgary.
The original flight schedule was perfect for everyone. Leave Med Hat at 7:00AM and arrive in Calgary at 8:00AM so you could catch early connection flights in Calgary going to Mexico, US, or eastern Canada, and still arrive at your destination at a reasonable time so your not wasting a full day. Or if your working in Calgary you have a full day to work and return Med Hat later the same night.
The original flight schedule returning to Medicine Hat was perfect for everyone. Leave Calgary around 7:30PM and arrive in Medicine Hat at 8:30PM so the return flight was actually late enough in the day for connection flights to make it in time to Calgary. If you working in Calgary you could complete your work day and make it home the same day.
I currently work in the natural gas industry at a remote site North of Fort St John and this new schedule does not work for any of my connection flights. Arriving in Calgary at 4:40PM is too late to make my Fort St John connections. On the return flight to Med Hat, leaving Calgary at 2:05PM is too early in the day to make the incoming connection from Fort St John.
So now I am forced to drive to Calgary because connections flights don’t work.
In the May 3, 2024 news article “Smith eyes incentives to entice airlines to regional airports” the article says Danille Smith wants to draw remote workers to live in Med Hat. Here is the quote from the article:
“That could draw industry and remote workers to areas outside major centres, she said, but access to air travel is a necessity for high-tech centres and global trade industries.”
With the current schedule Danielle Smiths goal is not being achieved. If you need to do a quick round trip to Calgary for work that’s not possible. If your a remote camp worker the connections leave to early in the morning before the plane even leaves Medicine Hat. I don’t get why anyone going on a vacation would want to fly out Medicine Hat when you arrive in Calgary at 4:40PM and then fly out of Calgary on your connection likely around 7PM at the earliest.
I commented to WestJet directly and they said that I don’t understand how a small regional airline works. Well the schedule use to work for me and I loved flying out of Medicine Hat. The new schedule doesn’t work and now I drive to Calgary. They have lost a customer and revenue.
If anything West Jet should have made the flight leaving Med Hat even earlier than 7:00AM something like 6:00AM or 6:30AM not make the flight leave later 3:45PM.