REGINA — Passengers flying to and from Regina’s Airport will notice changes to routes and flight sizes during the summer.
Airlines have been impacted by surging fuel prices, which account for roughly 30 per cent of their cost.
James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, said two routes have seen alterations to frequency as airports look to reduce costs.
“[The] Minneapolis service, which traditionally has been operating seven days a week. It's going to be dropping one day a week from the schedule. So Saturday's departure will no longer be operating over the summer months.”
He added, “service to Halifax [is] on a once-weekly basis, but for the first few months of its operation, it was operating twice weekly.”
Both of these routes are operated by WestJet. Halifax has been running as a seasonal flight since last year, which has seen good success.
Meanwhile, the Minneapolis service, which launched in April 2024, has faced challenges in recent months, according to Bogusz.
Bogusz didn’t say if he expects the Minneapolis service to remain with less frequency, suggesting WestJet wants to increase its loads.
“By decreasing frequency, they're going to see more people utilizing a particular aircraft. So frankly, it's a sign of the times. This is something that's been happening on the national stage.”
Minneapolis is one of two routes with a provincial revenue guarantee, with the agreement from WestJet coming up roughly a year from now.
Beyond frequency, Bogusz said passengers can expect aircraft capacity on Canadian routes to change over the summer.
“This means the airline may increase the size or decrease the size of a particular aircraft on an existing route in an effort to improve loads.”
Over the summer, Bogusz said this means capacity will decrease by 5 to 6 per cent.
Because of changes to flight frequency, the airport is on track to see unchanged passenger numbers from 2025.
Cost for passengers:
Passengers who typically opt for lower-cost fares with Air Canada or WestJet can expect to pay more as airlines adjust prices in response to rising fuel costs.
“Looking at a flight like Calgary [for WestJet], it seems to me that it's up between $20 and $30 for an ultra-basic fare when I checked last,” said Bogusz.
With larger airports such as Calgary and Winnipeg within driving distance of Regina, Bogusz was asked whether he is concerned that travellers might choose to drive rather than fly to connect to other destinations.
“Not at all. In fact, the convenience of using your local airport continues to be here, and there are lots of opportunities for savings for customers.”
Bogusz recommended checking WestJet or Air Canada for discounted prices to help save on flights.
He also encouraged passengers to book flights as soon as possible since airlines could alter prices at a moment's notice.
“I always advise people is [to] book the flight when you see the deal that you want. If you've got a discount code or promotion and you're comfortable with the price, go right ahead and book. Generally speaking, booking ahead, certainly more than a couple of weeks, makes a massive difference.”
