Delon Shurtz
lethbridge herald
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County of Lethbridge officials aren't going to wait for WestJet to come to them, they're going to WestJet following Wednesday's announcement the airline will launch a regional service.
County reeve Lorne Hickey said Thursday the announcement gives the county even more incentive to persuade WestJet to put Lethbridge on its list of new market destinations. So even though the county has been working to attract WestJet to the airport - and met with officials a few years ago - it plans to step up the pressure and be even more aggressive, rather than wait, and hope, Westjet comes to the county.
"If this comes to fruition, it will make a huge difference to the airport," Hickey said.
WestJet confirmed it will launch a low-fare, no-frills regional airline as part of the next "logical step" in the company's evolution.
WestJet is considering either Bombardier's Q400 NextGen 70 to 80-seat aircraft designed for short hauls or Italian-French company ATR's 72-600 series, and the company expects the regional airline to be up and flying before the end of 2013.
But WestJet hasn't said when the fleet will be delivered, and it hasn't announced market destinations or even a launch date.
Hickey said county officials and representatives from other communities will be attending breakfast meetings with WestJet next week in Calgary, but he's not sure what they'll be told or if they'll even have a chance to talk to WestJet executives.
"I don't know if they're going to tell us any more information at that or not," Hickey said.
Currently, Air Canada flies only Calgary connectors, using its Central Mountain Air and Jazz affiliates. The city's only other scheduled service is provided by Lethbridge-based Integra Air, offering daily executive-style flights to Edmonton.
In addition to providing more service for the flying public, local officials hope a new airline will lead to lower fares and more route choices.
Adding another airline to the airport fits in with the county's long-term plans, which include increasing overall business at the airport and increasing commercial development of adjacent land.
"For the airport to be . . . a somewhat viable entity, we need to attract other types of business," Hickey said.
He said the county and city have been discussing a partnership, as well as an airport commission, which would allow the county owned facility to handle an anticipated increase in passenger service and business. Should WestJet come to Lethbridge, work toward forming the partnership would likely need to speed up, Hickey added. Both councils are to complete a business plan for the airport by the end of the year.