(Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

soaring into 2020

Airport CEO optimistic heading into New Year

Dec 14, 2019 | 10:15 AM

Red Deer Regional Airport CEO Graham Ingham is feeling optimistic as 2019 winds down and 2020 is set to take flight.

Among other things, Ingham says it remains a primary goal to bring back passenger service to Alberta’s fourth busiest airport.

“Having been down this road before with a somewhat poor track record, both the airport and any potential airline will be exercising caution when it comes to re-establishing any kind of passenger service,” he says in a video update shared on Friday.

“It does appear that any potential opportunities will be more or less seasonal with a focus on western destinations such as Kelowna, Abbotsford and Comox.”

He adds that the unexpected grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, as well as a delay to the launch date for their potential partner, have caused all to take a step back.

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Ingham concluded by saying that the airport is yet to reach its goal of being financially sustainable, which was not helped by the loss of Air Canada in 2018.

“The worst is now behind us,” he says. “We are very confident that we’re headed in the right direction.”