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By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge Airport upgrades complete as passenger traffic increases

Dec 7, 2021 | 2:02 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge Airport has seen passenger numbers increase as new upgrades are unveiled ahead of schedule.

The Lethbridge Airport reported 228% increase in passenger traffic in the third quarter of the year, when compared to the same period in 2020.

An investment of $2.6 million was made into the airport and the City of Lethbridge added an additional $23 million in Provincial and Federal grant funding for a variety of critical infrastructure projects.

The upgrades focused on increasing passenger traffic, revenue diversification through land development, fire safety, and more – all to position the airport for pandemic recovery and future growth.

Mayor, Blaine Hyggen says these upgrades will make the Lethbridge Airport a hot commodity for the future.

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“The airport is key in the continued growth of our economy.”

“The investment we’ve put into our airport also positions our city and region in a competitive place for business attraction and retention for years to come.”

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Hyggen says most noticeably, the passenger experience has been elevated as the terminal building has undergone a significant renovation.

The expansion of the holdroom will allow for increased passenger numbers with additional airlines and/or larger aircraft being accommodated.

“What may be less visible to passengers but important to the safety and operations aspect of the airport will be the airfield and pavement rehabilitation updates. The planned upgrades include incorporating LED lighting to the airfield lighting system which saves on energy consumption and ongoing maintenance costs. All aspects are needed to attracted more airlines and larger aircraft to the region,” the city release says.

Director of Corporate and Customer Services, Lisa Trent says traffic is the city’s number one priority.

“Our plan is to focus on increasing passenger traffic and revenue diversification through land development.”

“The City manages several leases at the airport that net approximately $580,000 in annual revenue. With an additional 900 acres of land primed for development, we could leverage that to provide upwards of $10 million annually in lease revenue and an additional $10 million in tax revenue.”

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