Regina International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Regina International Airport
IATA = YQR
ICAO = CYQR
type = Public
owner = Transport Canada [ [http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/Airports/Status/menu.htm Airport Divestiture Status Report] ]
operator = Regina Airport Authority
city-served = Regina, Saskatchewan
elevation-f = 1,894
elevation-m = 577
coordinates = Coord|50|25|55|N|104|39|57|W|type:airport|display=inline
website = [http://www.yqr.ca/ www.yqr.ca]
r1-number = 08/26
r1-length-f = 6,200
r1-length-m = 1,890
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 13/31
r2-length-f = 7,900
r2-length-m = 2,408
r2-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2007
stat1-header = Aircraft Movements
stat1-data = 63,688
stat2-header = Passengers
stat2-data = 962,692
footnotes = Sources: Canada Flight SupplementCFS]
Statistics from Transport Canada. [http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/EN/Report/TP577/pdf/TP577_07.pdf Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report 2007] ]

Regina International Airport Airport codes|YQR|CYQR is an airport located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, about seven kilometres WSW of the city centre. It is run by the Regina Airport Authority. It is, as of 2007, the second busiest airport in Saskatchewan.

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 120 passengers, however they can handle up to 250 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.

History

The first site in Regina used for flying was the infield at Regina Exhibition Park's horse race track, where visiting barnstormer "Lucky Bob" St. Pierre (a Nebraskan whose real name was "Shaeffer" or "Shaffer") flew a Curtis biplane in August, 1911. A few other barnstormers, notably aviatrix Katherine Stinson of the famous aviation family, appeared in Regina and other prairie cities in the years thereafter, but there was virtually no other aviation activity in western Canada during the First World War.

After the First World War, Reginan Roland Groome returned from military service as a flying instructor in southern Ontario and, with partners, set up a company called the "Aerial Service Co." Its primitive airfield was located near what is the current intersection of Hill Avenue and Cameron Street in the city's southern Lakeview district. In May of 1920, federal government regulators assigned this field the designation of Canada 's first licenced "air harbour". Groome also received Canadian commercial pilot's licence No. 1 and mechanic Robert McCombie was given air engineer's licence No. 1.

(in 1939). A new terminal building was erected in 1960.

Major renovations to this terminal building were conducted in 1983-86. A $24-million expansion started in January 2004, increasing its capacity to 1.2 million passengers per year. The first stage of the expansion included the expansion of the terminal and includes a larger post-security holding room, another passenger loading bridge, an expansion to the international arrivals area and more baggage carousels. The first phase was completed in August 2005. The second phase is now under way and includes further expansion for security services as well as facilities for new tenants, likely stores and eating establishments.

In 2007, 962,692 passengers passed through the airport which handled 63,688 aircraft movements. [ [http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=238f02bc-6200-4cc0-be72-60679dc1c4cc&k=91676 Regina airport had record year for passenger traffic in 2007] ]

On May 1, 1995, under the Canada-US Open Skies agreement, Northwest Airlines began service to Minneapolis-St. Paul. In 1996 WestJet began Boeing 737-200 service. Air Canada, which began scheduled service to Regina in early 1939, ended "mainline" service into Regina and six other medium-sized Canadian cities in October 2005, turning over these routes to its subsidiary Air Canada Jazz. Air Canada's decision to turn service over to Jazz caused considerable discontent because Jazz, although increasing frequency of flights to centres like Vancouver and Toronto, uses relatively small Bombardier regional jets (RJs) that have limited room for cargo and baggage, often forcing some of the latter to be left behind and delivered later.

Airlines and destinations

*Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson)
**Air Canada Jazz (Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto-Pearson, Winnipeg, Vancouver)
*National Aviation
*Northwest Airlines
**Northwest Airlink operated Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
**Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
*Skyservice (Cancun, Holguin, Montego Bay, Nassau, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta) [seasonal]
*Sunwing Airlines (Cancun, Varadero) [seasonal]
*Transwest Air (Saskatoon, Prince Albert)
*WestJet (Calgary, Edmonton, Las Vegas [seasonal] , Toronto-Pearson [seasonal] , Winnipeg)
* West Wind Aviation
**Express Air Club [http://www.expressairclub.ca/] (Departs Shell Aerocentre) (Saskatoon)

Previous Airlines

Airlines that previously served Regina International Airport
*Air Transat
*Canadian Airlines
**Canadian Regional Airlines
*Air Canada
**Air Canada Tango
**Air Canada Zip
*Aeromexico
*Canadian North
*Canada 3000

References

External links

* [http://www.yqr.ca/ Regina International Airport]