YORKTON – The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce hosted an insightful luncheon on June 3 at the Painted Hand Casino, featuring a presentation from Regina International Airport President and CEO James Bogusz.
The event provided local business leaders with a comprehensive update on the airport’s recent advancements and its significance for communities like Yorkton.
Bogusz emphasized the vital role that the Regina airport plays for southern Saskatchewan, including Yorkton.
"We recognize and we very much value the entire southern Sask.," said Bogusz in an interview with SaskToday.ca
"I come to Yorkton about every year to year-and-a-half and we like to talk with the business community and talk through the chamber to understand the needs of this community and the types of things that we want to see at the Regina airport because we're southern Sask.'s airport," added Bogusz.
Bogusz shared recent successes, including the airport's ranking improvement.
"I'm proud to share with Yorkton that we just actually moved up a rank as an airport. We're now the 15th busiest in the country. We used to be number 16," said Bogusz.
The rise in rankings is attributed to increased domestic flights, with airlines like WestJet and Air Canada expanding service to major hubs. However, Bogusz was particularly excited about new international flight connections, especially a direct link to a major U.S. airport.
"This is United Airlines specifically. They're flying into the Denver hub. To put this into perspective, this is number six [busiest airport] in the world. Over 80 million passengers per year use Denver. Half of the volume of Denver is United Airlines," said Bogusz.
Since May 15, Regina International Airport has offered daily non-stop flights to Denver, opening new opportunities for global travel. Bogusz stressed the importance of considering United Airlines alongside WestJet and Air Canada when booking flights.
"Check them out. There's a lot of great connections through Denver. Denver itself is pretty cool, but the reality is all about connections through Denver through other major cities," noting there are over 170 United connections out of Denver Internation Airport.
Despite concerns about potential declines in cross-border travel, Bogusz noted resilience in passenger numbers, stating that trans-border travel from Regina had increased significantly compared to the previous year.
"To put this in perspective, last year in the first quarter ... we didn't have that flight to Minneapolis yet, but this year we saw over 15,000 more incremental passengers go to a trans-border destination from Regina than last year despite what we're hearing."
Bogusz credited strategic aircraft selection and regional demand for maintaining stability in travel numbers.
"Here's the key—we have the right-sized aircraft on these markets. Minneapolis is a 78-seat Q400. It's not a huge jet to fill. The Denver service is only a 50-seat regional jet. These are not massive jets to fill," said Bogusz.
Bogusz expressed appreciation for Yorkton’s business community and encouraged continued dialogue with the airport.
"I've been CEO of this beautiful airport for about seven-and-a-half years and I look forward to a long future, but really for the people of Yorkton we appreciate you. We value you. We want your input and opinion. If you've got thoughts, suggestions or concerns, check us out online," said Bogusz.
Bogusz assured attendees that those who haven’t visited the airport in recent years will notice improvements aimed at enhancing the passenger experience.
