Innisfail and Penhold residents won't have to drive to Calgary to fly with Air Canada any longer.
On July 10, Air Canada announced it is starting service to the Red Deer Regional Airport Sept. 3. Three daily flights to and from Calgary are scheduled, from which flyers can connect with national and international flights.
Innisfail mayor Jim Romane was hesitant to predict any positive economic impacts from a national carrier arriving at the nearby airport.
“You'd like to think it might have some economic impact,” Romane said. “It shouldn't be a negative impact. Hopefully there's some positive from it.”
Doug Bos, president of the Innisfail Chamber of Commerce, said having Air Canada so accessible for Innisfailians is not only good for residents but for business as well.
“It's got huge potential for business in Innisfail. Whenever you can increase accessibility to an area it has got to help economically. The more accessible the Red Deer corridor is by all modes of transportation for people to get in and out of the greater impact it will have economically for the community,” said Bos. “This opens up opportunities for people they might have never thought of. They can now ship stuff out on flights, or bring people in. It will hopefully allow people to expand their businesses.”
Penhold mayor Dennis Cooper, who also owns and operates a business at the airport, predicted some business opportunities opening up as a result of the announcement.
“Once you get a regular carrier in there it's going to help everybody. You're going to wind up needing cabs out there, you're going to wind up needing rental cars,” Cooper said. He noted many residents of Penhold work at the airport, which is located in Springbrook, just a few minutes' drive up Highway 2A.
“It's positive for the entire area,” Cooper said.
Red Deer Airport Authority CEO RJ Steenstra noted Air Canada's sample airfares for the airport are “pretty aggressive.”
“It's a connection to the world,” Steenstra said. “Airports are huge economic enablers.”
The Red Deer Regional Airport hasn't had a national carrier operate there for a long time, Steenstra said. The news can mean good things for area tourism, business and leisure travellers.
He said he hopes nearby communities like Innisfail and Penhold consider the airport in their future plans.
“They should view this as an asset for their own communities,” Steenstra said.
With files from Johnnie Bachusky
