Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Jeff Henson

Airport

Flights are being reduced at GPA

Dec 8, 2022 | 6:00 AM

Beginning in the new year, people flying in and out of the Grande Prairie Airport will notice a reduction of flights being offered by both WestJet and Air Canada.

Airport CEO Brian Grant says Air Canada in particular will only be offering one flight per day, both to and from Calgary, beginning in January.

“They were doing two flights a day, one flight was seven days a week, and the other was six days, and then dropped down to four days a week for December. In January, it appears from what we have been given, it will go back to just the one flight per day, leaving in the morning and coming back late in the evening.”

Grant adds the reduction of flights is happening at airports right across the country, noting that Air Canada has also announced that it is cutting its twice-daily service from Calgary to both Regina and Saskatoon.

However, WestJet will continue to offer their five flights a day from Grande Prairie throughout the holiday season.

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He says the reasoning for the reduction in service is similar for both companies.

“Staff shortages, and aircraft that have to be strategically placed just to make sure that they have some service at all locations. So it is mainly those considerations.”

“But also for Air Canada and for WestJet and others, they are concentrating right now on growing their international markets and getting them back into place. So they get the large connections going first, and then respond back to the other airports.”

Grant says it also looks like there will not be any additional flights added during the busy holiday season.

“That is a concern to airports right across the country, including ourselves. Their capacity here is running close to full. However, they have elected due to their staff shortages to be more cautious in making sure that they can make their on-time departures, and have their cancellations at a minimum.”

“I think they learned a lot from the summer schedule and what happened to them, especially in the larger centers over the summer. They are just being more cautious in the market.”

He is hopeful that this will be a temporary reduction for a few months.