Lethbridge County Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Lethbridge Airport
IATA = YQL
ICAO = CYQL
type = Public
owner =
operator = County of Lethbridge
city-served =
location = Lethbridge
elevation-f = 3,048
elevation-m = 929
coordinates =
website = coord|49|37|49|N|112|47|59|W|type:airport
r1-number = 05/23
r1-length-f = 6,500
r1-length-m = 1,981
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 12/30
r2-length-f = 5,500
r2-length-m = 1,676
r2-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2007
stat1-header = Aircraft Movements
stat1-data = 30,358
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] ]

Lethbridge County Airport or Lethbridge Airport, Airport codes|YQL|CYQL, is located convert|4|NM|abbr=on|lk=in south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10-15 driving minutes from the downtown area and has scheduled service to the Alberta cities of Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray. 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 can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers. The airport hosts the annual Alberta International Airshow.

History

Originally known as Kenyon Field, this aerodrome began passenger services in October 1938, but officially opened in June 1939. Previous to this, the city operated aviation activities in areas currently occupied by Exhibition Park and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute.

From 1939–1948, Lethbridge operated as Western Canada's primary airline hub. [cite journal | last = MacLachlan | first = Ian | coauthors = Bruce MacKay | title = Lethbridge and the Trans-Canada Airway | journal = Alberta History | volume = 48 | issue = 3 | date = 2000] At the outbreak of World War II, Kenyon Field became a training facility under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The station was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force and called RCAF Station Lethbridge. Beginning in July 1940, the aerodrome hosted No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS). Instruction was provided by members of the local flying club. Since the airport often experience significant wind, the flying school moved to less windy High River in June 1941.

Late in 1941, the No. 8 Bombing and Gunnery School, also a BCATP training facility, opened at the station. Since land was required for gunnery and bombing practice, about 100 square miles was leased from the Blood Indian Reserve located nearby. Aircraft used by this school included Fairey Battles, Lysanders, Ansons, and Bolingbrokes.

No. 133 (Fighter) Squadron was formed here in June 1942, flying Hurricanes and Harvards. The squadron moved to Boundary Bay, British Columbia in October 1942.

The RCAF left Lethbridge in 1944.

In 1947, the RCAF's mess hall was converted by the Department of Transportation (now Transport Canada) into an Air Terminal Building, which was replaced by the current facility in 1979.

The County of Lethbridge assumed ownership of the airport on 1 January 1997, and it was subsequently named the Lethbridge County Airport.

Airlines and destinations

*Air Canada
**Air Canada Jazz (Calgary)
**Air Canada Jazz operated by Central Mountain Air (Calgary)
*Integra Air (Edmonton, Fort McMurray via Edmonton)

ervices

The airport is a Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Designated Aerodrome, thus providing full passenger screening. It also serves as a regional airport, offering a number of on-site charter, maintenance, flight training and speciality aviation services. There are roughly 40 aircraft based at the airport, including commercial, corporate, recreational, flight training, aerial spray and rotary-wing.

Between 50 and 60 percent of typical annual aircraft movements are flight training and scheduled air carrier services. In 2003, aircraft movements for the year were roughly 30,000 and passenger movements were roughly 55,000. [ [http://www.aviationalberta.com/documents/AirportStudy.pdf A Socio-economic Impact Assessment of Select Alberta Airports] , Aviation Alberta. 2005. Prepared by RP Erickson & Associates. p 8. (PDF)]

ee also

*Calgary International Airport

Notes

External links

* [http://www.county.lethbridge.ab.ca/municipal/lethbridge/lethbridge-website.nsf/e9f00d4a47929ecc87256b0a005c4e8b/d2ca350ac1293ef887256f560077d60a!OpenDocument Lethbridge County Airport website]
* [http://www.integraair.com/ Integra Air]
* [http://www.copanational.org/PlacesToFly/airport_view.php?pr_id=2&ap_id=257 Page about this airport] on COPA's "Places to Fly" airport directory