VIDEO: Final WestJet flight departs Medicine Hat leaving passengers concerned on future of air travel

Those arriving on the last inbound flight from Calgary say the loss of service will create inconvenience and force travellers to rely on longer connections through other cities.

Michelle Roy, a frequent visitor from Kelowna, B.C., who uses the route regularly to see family in Medicine Hat, said the change will make travel significantly more difficult.

“I think it’s bad because it puts a lot of people at odds, and having to go to Calgary to catch a flight,” Roy said.

“I come every few months to visit my mom here, and it’s going to be more difficult to do that without having that flight from Calgary to Medicine Hat.”

Roy said she typically flies through the airport often and expects to now rely on ground transportation to reach other hubs.

She also pointed to broader impacts for residents who depend on air travel, particularly seniors and those requiring medical or family travel.

“You have a very large aging population here in Medicine Hat, and if they need to go to the hospital or they need to go see family anywhere, they’ll either have to drive or take a shuttle,” Roy said.

For her own travel, Roy said the most likely alternative will involve driving to Calgary before catching a flight elsewhere.

“My only option right now is to shuttle back to Calgary and then take a flight out from there. So, it’s going to be pretty limiting being able to find that alternative route,” Roy said.

Roy said that overall her experience with the airline had been positive.

“It’s been good, it’s been great. I mean, I really haven’t had, I think I’ve had only one delay in three years, so I mean, I can say that’s pretty good for them,” Roy said.

Visitors from London, England, who arrived on the same flight, said they were unaware that Medicine Hat would no longer have outgoing air service and would now have to adjust their travel plans.

One of the travellers, Jude Jonas, said the journey to southern Alberta already involved multiple connections through international and domestic carriers, and the lack of a return flight from Medicine Hat adds further complications.

“We’ll have to drive down to the nearest airport, which might be Calgary, just to find a way away from Medicine Hat,” Jonas said.

“We travel a lot. So WestJet is something we wanted to use all the way down.”

As Medicine Hat adjusts to the loss of scheduled air service, passengers on the final flights say they hope commercial operations will eventually return to the city.

by Jett Schwaier

VIDEO: Final WestJet flight departs Medicine Hat leaving passengers concerned on future of air travel

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