Weyburn Chamber of Commerce members were given an update about the facilities and services at the Regina International Airport, or YQR as its abbreviation is known, along with plans for upcoming improvements for the airport.
James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport, was the guest speaker for the Weyburn Chamber’s breakfast series on Wednesday morning at the Legion Hall, and noted the Weyburn Chamber is counted as a partner with them along with the chambers from Regina, Moose Jaw and Estevan, and a number of other agencies from the region.
YQR is a non-profit company, and generates about $28 million a year in revenue as Canada’s 15th largest airport. The airport’s catchment area of southern Saskatchewan has a population of around 500,000, and they move through about 1.2 million passengers a year, said Bogusz.
After a downturn in passenger numbers last year of 3.5 per cent, Bogusz said those numbers are now back on the way up, as passenger numbers as of the end of June are up by 2.19 per cent from last year, and up seven per cent year-over-year.
“Airports typically show the economic activity for the region. If there’s growth at the airport, there’s growth in the local economy, and we’re trending on target towards 2.8 per cent this year,” he said.
