A new look, new tenants and a new vision for the future.Following a summer at the former Red Deer Regional Airport that featured the highest highs and the lowest lows, airport CEO R.J. Steenstra said services are being expanded and overall operations improved in an effort to attract new passengers and businesses.The airport's only scheduled air carrier, Swanberg Air, left in early September citing low passenger numbers, two new business tenants moved in, an operations manager with more than 25 years in the business was hired in July, the airport's image received a makeover and a former tenant, Northwestern Air Lease Ltd., recently announced plans to return scheduled service to the airport beginning on Nov. 18 with weekend flights to Kelowna.Other work at the newly rechristened Red Deer Airport, including tarmac improvements, terminal renovations that are designed to enhance the overall passenger experience, and the introduction of de-icing and anti-icing services, positions the airport well for new businesses and new passengers, Steenstra explained. The airport's administration offices will also move into the renovated terminal once work is completed in early January.ìWe've got a business plan. We're headed in the right direction,î he said, noting Red Deer Airport led the country in aircraft movements among its brother regional airports in July. It finished second in June and August. ìWe've been going through our operations and enhancing areas where we see some gaps.îThe new name and logo, which was unveiled on Nov. 2, was designed to represent the airport's customer-centric focus, Steenstra said. Three coloured boxes depicting airplane windows ñ one green, representing the ground; one orange, representing people and cargo; and one blue, representing the sky ñ are set above the airport's name, which is written out in lower case. A white jet stream slopes upward across the three windows. The airport's new brand ñ ìgoing places. together.î ñ is located below the name.ìOver time you will see more and more people view this as their airport and have a pride of place for the airport, and utilize it to a larger degree,î Steenstra explained. ìWe've done a lot of work around our positioning for the airport. Obviously the new brand identity is an outcome of that positioning. But really we're trying to set the stage for the airport currently in its present state but also for the future.îThe new brand will be prominently displayed on the airport's revamped website once it is completed and in radio and print-advertising campaigns that will start shortly, Steenstra said.Fort Smith, N.W.T.-based Northwestern plans to offer service to Kelowna, B.C. on Fridays and Sundays. On Fridays the flight will depart Red Deer at 8 a.m. and arrive in Kelowna at 9:15 a.m. The return leg will depart Kelowna at 10 a.m., arriving in Red Deer at 11:15 a.m. On Sundays the flight will depart Red Deer at 2 p.m. and arrive in Kelowna at 3:15 p.m., with the return flight departing Kelowna at 4 p.m. and arriving at 5:15 p.m.Steenstra said discussions with Northwestern, which had previously offered service between Red Deer and Fort McMurray from 2006 to 2010, began in the spring.ìThey were anxious to get back to Red Deer's market and to serve that route,î said Steenstra, explaining Northwestern had to wait for approval from both Transport Canada and Nav Canada before proceeding.Northwestern's general manager, Gordon Bush, said the new route will be geared towards oil and gas workers who live in Kelowna but work in Alberta, as well as Central Alberta leisure seekers heading to the Okanagan Valley for golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter. One of the company's 16-passenger turboprop Jetstream 32s will be used on the route and be based in Red Deer.A 2009 survey conducted by the airport had Kelowna listed high on Canadian destinations that were frequently visited by Red Deer-area residents.ìWe know the passenger loads are going to be light to start off with but if this survey is correct and if people's enthusiasm is what it should be then I think we're going to run more and more flights,î Bush said, noting a passenger load of 50 per cent is needed for the route to break even.ìKelowna seems to be a very popular destination for people who live in Central Alberta,î Steenstra said, adding the survey showed a great number of area residents ñ about 28,000 annually ñ fly between the Red Deer area and Kelowna. About 80 per cent of them currently utilize Calgary International Airport. ìThey tend to have vacation homes, second homes, or like to travel to the Okanagan Valley for vacation.îWhile similar service is offered out of both Calgary and Edmonton, Steenstra said the convenience of flying out of Red Deer is unparalleled.ìBy the time you have driven to our (neighbour) airports, parked your car, gone through security you'll probably be in Kelowna by that time already,î he said. ìThere's a significant time-saving and efficiency that come with flights that utilize your own airport.îBush said if the route proves successful Northwestern is considering expanding it to Abbotsford, Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.ìWe haven't actually put that together yet,î he said. ìWe're going to see how things work out.îSteenstra confirmed the airport is holding ìongoingî discussions with other scheduled air carriers interested in flying out of Red Deer, including Integra Air, which is examining a possible Lethbridge-Red Deer-Fort McMurray routeìThere's interest,î he said. ìWe just have to keep moving in that direction.î
