(Red Deer Regional Airport)

By Sheldon Spackman

Preparing For Take-Off

Continued growth leads to big changes at Red Deer Regional Airport

Oct 31, 2019 | 3:18 PM

Increased traffic at Red Deer Regional Airport is leading to changes that will soon open the doors to further growth and expansion at Alberta’s fourth busiest airport.

On Thursday, NAV Canada announced they will be changing YQF from an ‘uncontrolled’ airport, to a ‘controlled’ airport.

Airport CEO Graham Ingham says the change is significant.

“Not only does it make it safer for everybody that’s using the airport, but it also puts the airport in a position where it’s able to attract more traffic, bigger traffic and more complex aircraft wishing to use the airport itself, so it’s pretty positive,” he exclaims.

Ingham says the difference between ‘controlled’ and ‘uncontrolled’, is ‘controlled’ has an operating control tower staffed generally by federally trained air traffic controllers, while ‘uncontrolled’ airports do not have an operating control tower.

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“But it still has rules and procedures in place, it’s just not as strict,” he explains. “We’ve been working hard over the last two and a half years of trying to craft a vision and putting strategies in place that will allow the airport to grow. Specifically trying to attract new types of air service, as well as land development opportunities.”

Ingham says NAV Canada’s announcement is recognition of those efforts.

“This airport is going in the right direction and we’re attracting lots of new business,” says Ingham. “And we’re in a good spot to attract some more business that will really help this airport to be one of the most successful regional airports in Canada.”

Ingham estimates there are roughly 80,000 take-offs and landings at YQF each year, making it Canada’s 25^th busiest airport.

“In some cases, about 600 a day if the weather is good,” adds Ingham. “In my conversations with the investors, they couldn’t be happier. With what we’ve accomplished in the last two-and-a-half years, for them, being somewhere where their business is going to be able to grow, attract more business, and be worth more, is something else that’s important to them.”

Ingham describes the news as another step towards further growth and financial sustainability for Red Deer Regional Airport.

“Hopefully it will add a few more jobs, which is great and economic activity,” says Ingham. “This is pretty exciting.”

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