Regina Airport regains 'international' designation — for now

CBC
·2 min read
Transport Canada has restored the 'international' designation for Regina Airport. (Bryan Eneas/CBC - image credit)
Transport Canada has restored the 'international' designation for Regina Airport. (Bryan Eneas/CBC - image credit)

Regina can once again claim to have an international airport, even if the designation is largely a marketing tool.

The Regina Airport Authority confirmed on Thursday that Transport Canada had restored its "international" designation.

"We're very thankful and I just appreciate Transport Canada confirming that for us this week," said Regina Airport Authority CEO and president James Bogusz.

Transport Canada removed the international designation from a handful of airports — including  in Regina and Saskatoon — during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The move came because travel restrictions implemented by the federal government prevented international flights from landing in Saskatchewan, so the airports no longer met Transport Canada's requirements for an international designation.

"You were not able to land here. An entire province was cut off," Bogusz said.

The Regina Airport Authority disagreed with the decision at the time. Now, more than a year after the initial decision the designation has been restored.

The news was welcomed by MP Michael Kram ( Conservative-Regina-Wascana).

"It represents a positive outcome for the long and difficult journey we, as a community, have been through with the airport through the pandemic," Kram said.

The designation will last until at least April, when Transport Canada is set to revisit the designation.

Bogusz says the airport will do everything in its power to comply and maintain the designation in the future.

However, the loss of the designation did not mean international flights were unable to land at the Regina airport.  Flights from the United States, Caribbean and Mexico resumed flights to Saskatchewan at the end of the year.

However, Bogusz says the designation is a powerful tool for marketing purposes.

"For us, this is about future growth. For us, this is about helping us market our community, our province for business investment. And having an international airport in the province of Saskatchewan, which we've always had in the past, is absolutely key," he said.

Bogusz also believes the designation will give the authority a seat at the table if there is a decision in future about limiting flights to Saskatchewan.

Business continues to pick up at the Regina airport, Bogusz said: The facility is experiencing around 70 to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic passenger levels depending on the day.

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