MEDICINE HAT, AB — After years of discussion and planning, WestJet has arrived in Medicine Hat.
WestJet Link touched down at the Medicine Hat Regional Airport for the first time Friday morning, with a crowd of roughly 100 people on hand to welcome the plane.
Mayor Ted Clugston says the day was nearly a decade in the making.
“It’s been about8 or 9 years since we started talking with WestJet, and tried to put forward the numbers to, you know, the type of passenger volume they could expect coming out of Medicine Hat,” he said. “It’s just a fantastic day.”
The Calgary-based airline joins Air Canada in providing flights to and from the Calgary International Airport. WestJet Link launched this week to provide connecting services in smaller cities in Alberta and B.C. The service is now available in Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Prince George and Cranbrook.
The company is partnering with Pacific Coastal Airlines to provide the 34-seat airplanes needed to transport passengers.
“It’s called a capacity service agreement,” said Robert Palmer, manager of public affairs with WestJet. “It’s used all over the world to give larger airlines access to smaller aircraft, and therefore the ability to serve small and medium sized communities like Medicine Hat.”
Palmer says one of the primary reasons for the delay in setting up in Medicine Hat was finding an appropriate size of plane to operate, given the size of the market.
Clugston says recent upgrades at the airport were another key factor in attracting WestJet to Medicine Hat.
“The airport expansion, I’d say was number one, because both carriers can actually take off at the exact same time here, because there’s enough room post-security to move people through,” he said.
The Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce are also excited about the new service, saying it will be beneficial to residents.
“I think competition is healthy, and I believe we’ll have great opportunities for increasing businesses,” said Sarah MacKenzie, a vice-president with the organization. “It will be great for families and travelling.”
Earlier this year, Integra Air stopped its passenger service from Medicine Hat to Edmonton, citing a lack of interest from passengers. The city and WestJet are hoping the new service doesn’t suffer the same fate.
Clugston says residents need to “use it or lose it,” to ensure it’s successful, and consider flying to Calgary instead of driving three hours.
“We like our cars around here, and I’m used to it as well, so just make sure you take a look at flying out of Medicine Hat as well.”
“At this point in time, it’s important that the community at both ends, both in Calgary and here in southeastern Alberta, use the service going forward to make sure it is a success,” adds Palmer.
The airline says the first flight from Medicine Hat to Calgary was sold out as it departed Friday afternoon.
