Regional airport czar RJ Steenstra touched down in Innisfail last week and spoke of its economic benefits to the local chamber of commerce.
ìThe Red Deer Regional Airport is valuable to the Innisfail area,î said Steenstra, chief executive officer of the Red Deer Regional Airport Authority who was in town on Jan. 22. ìNot only in terms of providing an economic boost from employment, but also in terms of bringing travellers to Innisfail and area.î
He was quick to point out that since his arrival to the Springbrook airport in 2011 passenger counts have risen from 500 to more than 12,000 in 2013. Steenstra expected that number to be in the range of 35,000 in 2014.
ìAt present, we have Air Canada and Northwestern Air serving the Red Deer market,î said Steenstra. ìNorthwestern Air delivers flights to Fort McMurray, Kelowna, Abbotsford and points north. Air Canada flies out direct to Calgary and Edmonton in about 25 minutes, seven times per day, and 173 other destinations from there.î
WestJet and Canada Jetlines, a low cost carrier, are on the radar for Red Deer service pending facility upgrades to the runway, noted Steenstra.
ìAirports are economic drivers; at present we are perceived as underutilized by many carriers,î said Steenstra. ìPresently, we need a longer runway to serve our customers better. The longer the runway the more carriers we can offer. The more carriers we can offer, the more flights we can offer. It is a cycle, and we have to grow gradually. ì
Under the leadership of Steenstra, an airport consulting committee has been established which will meet twice a year to discuss and implement strategies to market the airport more effectively.
ìWe look forward to continued growth at the airport, but we know that depends on communities like Innisfail to use our local airport as much as possible,î said Steenstra. ìThat will send a message to potential carriers and drive them to our marketplace.
ìImagine, flying to Hawaii from Red Deer, with a short stopover in Calgary or Edmonton,î he added. ìWe really can be a gateway to the world.î
