Red Deer Regional Airport terminal and front parking lot. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

New completion date: Spring 2023

First phase of Red Deer Regional Airport expansion almost complete; welcoming chartered planes

Oct 18, 2022 | 10:35 AM

Phase one of the Red Deer Regional Airport’s expansion project is almost finished, now welcoming chartered planes, but with a new expected completion date of spring 2023.

The three phased expansion project aims to upgrade the facility to a low cost airport, allowing larger aircraft and associated businesses.

Construction of Phase 1 focused on key infrastructure upgrades including the widening of the main 1730 runway from 30 to 45 metres, along with strengthening the main apron and taxiway.

“We’re super excited about the progress. This just opens so many doors for us,” said Nancy Paish, Director of Business Development and Communications. “The opportunity to bring large aircraft, maintenance, mechanics, manufacturing and cargo into the community and be a really strong economic driver; the potential is just huge.”

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Paish said it was a great summer for construction at the airport with the finishing of the runway expansion, drainage system around the taxiway, the addition of lights and a larger finish. She says 300 feet of paving remain for the runway which she expects to see completed by the end of the week and the runway opened back up by this November.

However, while the original completion date was estimated for October 15, the higher than normal rainfall in June and July postponed paving of the taxiway and main apron, Paish stated.

In June 2022, The City of Red Deer reported between 167 and 182 mm of rain at different locations across the city. According to Environment Canada, from 1981 to 2010, the average precipitation for the month of June at the Red Deer Regional Airport was 94 mm.

“All the rain in June and July, the crews couldn’t do the paving that they needed to do. They were ready for it but they couldn’t pave when it was still wet,” she said.

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As a result, the Phase one paving of the taxiway and main apron, which she says are necessary for their strengthening and rehabilitation, will be completed in the springtime, as construction work rarely takes place during the wintertime at the airport.

In the meantime, as the runway will still be operational, she says the airport can now welcome chartered 737 airplanes, for example, oil companies that fly large groups of workers to and from sites.

The $15 million cost was fully funded by the Government of Alberta contributing $7.5 million, and $3.75 provided each by the City of Red Deer and Red Deer County.

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Officials say Phase two, with a timeline estimating 12-months, entails the construction of a low cost 12,000 square foot terminal to accommodate 189 passengers at a time for domestic and international service.

Paish says with the expanded runway almost ready they have been considering jumping to Phase three, which consists of:

• Installing a solar powered car port in the main parking area for passengers and for the airport’s new terminal
• Upgrades to the runway end safety area, required by Transportation Canada, to reduce the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an undershoot, overshoot or excursion from the runway
• Finishing touches to civil works such as road construction, water sanitation, stormwater and fiber optics, to support new businesses for the north end land development.