Businesses in Saskatoon and Regina are ready for flight service between the two cities to take off again. A survey conducted by the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce shows a strong desire to resume flight service between the province’s two largest cities with 94 per cent of respondents saying they would use the service if it was made available. “I think overall it presents a picture of a very eager and interested business traveling community that would like to see some sort of return to service,” Jason Aebig, the CEO of the Saskatoon Chamber, said. “The feasibility of that, I guess, will have to be worked out by the operators.” Of the 230 businesses who responded to the survey, 60 per cent said they would definitely use the service regularly, 67 per cent said they would purchase one to two tickets per month with 17 per cent needing three to four a month and 13 per cent requiring five to 10 tickets per month. Seventy-six per cent of respondents said $500 would be a reasonable fare. “We’ve got the two largest economic hubs between Regina and Saskatoon,” Regina Chamber CEO Mike Tate said. “What a way to connect those people from a business standpoint.” A flight service between Regina and Saskatoon existed for years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the direct flight, which allowed business customers to arrive at a separate entrance with expedited security protocols to quickly board a plane and takeoff away from the general public, was cancelled. Tate says these flights would be on smaller airline and a smaller aircraft with anywhere from nine to 20 passengers on each flight. James Bogusz, the CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, says if the service can remain convenient for customers, he’s ready to work with interested parties. “They know we’re open for business,” Bogusz said. “In fact, we’ll even provide some short-term incentives to help the carrier reduce their cost of doing business if they want to try the route.” While virtual meeting technology and usage has grown exponentially over the past five years, companies still prefer a face-to-face interaction for some decisions, and Aebig says travel policies are becoming stricter, which makes the drive up and down Highway 11 a risky or dangerous during the cold winter months. “Doesn’t it make sense to find an alternate way to get there? And that’s what this air service really does for us.” Aebig and Tate say conversations with the airports have been productive, but it’s ultimately up to private airline operators to see if the demand is enough to turn a profit. Whether it be business or government executives or members of the general public looking for a convenient option, both see a path towards resuming flight service as long as the long security lines and onboarding process can be avoided. “That’s what we’ve been committed to from those airports. And we’re confident that they can get a deal done,” Tate said. If an initial flight can get off the ground, the flight could potentially expand to other markets in the province. “I hope that an airline wants to give this a try to see how it works for them, and we’ll do our part to keep our fees and charges low,” Bogusz said. The Saskatoon Airport Authority declined an interview, but said it welcome the return of a Saskatoon-Regina route. Aebig admits there’s risk for an operator to resume a flight service, but that risk can be mitigated when looking at the survey results. “You can de-risk it if you’re an operator, because you know that there is a ready and willing set of people who are going to take you up on the service and are going to use it religiously,” he said.
