Despite recent renovations to the Lethbridge Airport, its sole airline provider, WestJet, has reduced its flights to one per day. This change was initially planned for October 3, but it began earlier in the month. The mayor of Lethbridge, Blaine Hyggen, mentioned that the airport renovations were intended to attract more business. However, the decrease in flights has raised concerns about the airport’s future. WestJet’s director of alliances and airport affairs, Jared Mikoch-Gerke, stated that this situation is not unique to Lethbridge, as many markets are experiencing similar reductions in flights.
WestJet has replaced its partnership with Pacific Coastal with WestJet Encore and a Q400 aircraft, which offers more seating capacity compared to the older planes. Despite this increase, the new schedule still only provides two-thirds of the passenger capacity as before. Karl Moore, a professor at McGill University, believes that this adjustment by WestJet was inevitable due to the small town nature of Lethbridge. He also mentioned that smaller airports in Canada, like Abbotsford and Hamilton, offer large cities an alternative to busier centers. However, he doubts that Calgarians would choose to fly from Lethbridge, even with more destinations available.
Currently, Calgary is the only destination available for Lethbridge air travelers, leading many to opt for driving to the larger airport due to convenience. WestJet aims to improve connection times at Calgary for passengers traveling to other Canadian and U.S. destinations. Despite concerns about the reduction in flights at the Lethbridge Airport, members of the business community in Lethbridge are optimistic about the change. Dominka Wojcik, senior director of communications at Tourism Lethbridge, expressed excitement about the larger plane and increased reliability in flight schedules. Additionally, no layoffs are expected for airport employees, as there are enough tasks to keep everyone employed.
WestJet has flown 35,000 passengers in and out of Lethbridge in 2024, selling just over 50% of available seats. This reflects the lower demand for flights in the area. Despite the challenges faced by Lethbridge Airport, Hyggen remains positive, mentioning that WestJet has assured monitoring and re-evaluation of the situation as necessary. He believes that there is a potential for increased traffic in the future, and the future of the airport is not directly in jeopardy. While uncertainties remain, there is hope that the changes implemented by WestJet and the airport’s continued operations will lead to positive outcomes for Lethbridge’s air travel industry in the long run.
