(Left - Right) Shannon Wyzykoski, Board Chair - Red Deer Regional Airport Authority, Graham Ingham, CEO, Nicole Holinaty, Director - Marketing & Communications, Grant Stange - RSM.

By Sheldon Spackman

Ready For Growth

2019 a good year for Red Deer Regional Airport

May 14, 2020 | 5:31 PM

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials at Red Deer Regional Airport remain excited about the future prospects for YQF.

On Thursday, airport officials held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and highlighted the long-term benefits they’re anticipating through partnership agreements signed last year with EFC Developments, Rice Group, and Tucana Aviation.

“That’s really important because they’re really going to play a big role, like our existing tenants in the future of the airport,” says Graham Ingham, CEO, Red Deer Regional Airport Authority. “They bring a lot of business acumen, they bring a lot of business success, and they’re also willing to invest their own capital to help this airport move forward.”

As a result, Ingham hopes to see some of the commercial developments planned for the airport’s south end get underway this year.

“We’ve got two different projects, we’ve got south and north,” he explains. “The south stuff is more along the lines of commercial businesses, so gas stations, restaurants, and a number of different small-scale eateries – those types of things. That land specifically in the south end, has all the infrastructure in place to support new business opportunities, and that’s what we’re hoping to get moving this year.”

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The north end, Ingham admits, is a bigger challenge and part of their long-term plans.

“It requires a lot of infrastructure both on the air side and the ground side, which includes utilities and those types of things,” says Ingham. “That’s going to be anywhere from one to five years before we’ll potentially see some growth at the north end. But we are ready to support any opportunity that comes our way for the north end and we have all the support that we need from adjoining partners and it’s just a matter of if – not when we’ll see some big activity there.”

In the meantime, Ingham reveals they’re also doing the engineering and design work needed to prepare for airport expansion, should a significant opportunity arise that aligns with the airport’s vision for long-term sustainability.

Like other airports however, Ingham acknowledges that COVID-19 has reduced the amount of air traffic flying in and out of YQF.

“I’m going to say 80 per cent of our movements from both Sky Wings Aviation and Montair, that business is down.”

However, Ingham notes an upside amidst the pandemic being their existing businesses being busier than ever.

“We’re talking about Air Spray, Buffalo Airways. They’re gearing up for the fire season which is expected to be a particularly bad one this year. Then we continue to see charters into the airport in support of the oil patch – that hasn’t stopped, so really the impact has been on aircraft movements associated with the two training schools.”

Ingham hints that YQF is also seeing a lot of interest from airlines to once again offer future passenger service in Red Deer.

“Ultimately what we strive for is partnership agreements – that really helps us diversify and limit the risk associated with being in the passenger service business,” he explains. “We want it back. However, it has to be under the right terms and conditions that works for both the airlines and the airport and the community itself. I know it’s going to come back, it’s just going to take a bit of time.”

Ingham concludes that 2019 was a good year for YQF, despite continued financial challenges faced over the past 12 months.

“The good news is, we have a strategic business plan in place. We have a very clear vision, mission, values, goals, and we have the partnerships in place, we have the strategic plans in place and we have the support in place. That’s a good position to be in.

“We continue to be heavily involved in the community,” adds Ingham. “The best way to grow your business is to help support other businesses, and that’s something we’re really focused on. As far as the future goes, we’ve got all the right things, we’ve got all the strategies in place, we’ve got the financial backing, we’ve got the partnerships in place, so we’re pretty excited about the future of the airport itself.”