WestJet Ends Regional Air Service to Medicine Hat and Lethbridge
Southern Alberta cities are scrambling to find replacement carriers after WestJet closes its only scheduled passenger flights to Medicine Hat and Lethbridge this week.
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WestJet is closing its regional service to Medicine Hat and Lethbridge this week, ending the only scheduled air passenger service from both southern Alberta cities.
Announced in February as a money-saving measure, the closure marks the first time in decades that residents of both communities will not be able to fly directly out of their hometowns to connect with major flights. WestJet provided one round trip per day to each city, landing in Medicine Hat before 9 a.m.
Medicine Hat airport manager Logan Boyd said surveys show the public sees passenger flights as a key service, even though most activity at the airport isn't commercial air travel. For travellers, the loss means weighing whether to drive to Calgary—a six-hour round trip—to meet connecting flights.
Both Medicine Hat and Lethbridge have contacted smaller airlines to replace the service and are updating their master plans for future air operations. "We're optimistic that there will be something on passenger service in the future," Lethbridge airport manager Cameron Prince said. "We're just not sure what the timeline will be."
The province has published a request for expressions of interest, offering up to $5 million over two years to air carriers who would boost connectivity between regional centres and major airports in Calgary and Edmonton.
