QuikAir says it may have to pull out of Alberta because of changes announced by Edmonton Airports.
A move to shut down all southbound scheduled passenger service at the downtown City Centre Airport could mean that the airline, which targets business travellers, will no longer be operating in the province by July 31, 2005.
That’s the date the airport authority has set for ending scheduled southbound City Centre passenger service, flights that represent about half of City Centre’s traffic. The new policy means they will need to move to the International in order to continue.
Edmonton Airports said in order to keep scheduled passenger service to the north operating out of City Centre, it must cut the risk by closing down the southbound flights that it claims are detrimental to the future of Edmonton International.
“The loss of origin-destination passengers to Edmonton International Airport tilts route network economics in favour of direct services to Calgary,” said Martin Copeland, vice-president airline marketing and planning for Intervistas Consulting.
Edmonton Airports board chair Margaret Bateman said the decision to end scheduled southern passenger service from City Centre while maintaining similar flights to the north is a delicate balance that will serve the needs of the north while protecting quality air services for the capital region.
“Basically we have nowhere to go,” said QuikAir’s vice-president of operations Doug MacPherson. “Consolidation of our flights isn’t going to happen. Next July 31 if we move to the International we wouldn’t last 10 minutes out there. We’re operating four twin-engine, 10-seat airplanes and we’re going to compete against Air Canada and WestJet?”
QuikAir operates between downtown Edmonton and Calgary. It serves a niche with as many as 14 flights a day in each direction.
“We moved between 60,000 and 70,000 people last year and on average we turn away 700 to 1,000 people a month because we don’t have enough capacity, and Edmonton Airports won’t allow us to grow our product,” said MacPherson.
MacPherson said he’s at a loss to understand how his operation is having such a dramatic impact on the International.
“We’re not carrying anyone who’s going beyond Calgary or Edmonton, we’re not feeding anywhere else. My question is, how can somebody with four little 10-seat airplanes impact what goes on at the International? They’ve painted a picture that Edmonton International will crumble to its knees, that their whole master plan will go down the toilet. If that’s the case, maybe they had a bad plan to begin with,” said MacPherson.
QuikAir’s choices, added MacPherson, are limited. “We either fold up our tent and go away or I guess we get a lawyer and fight it.”
The airline also operates in Ontario and Quebec, with flights from Kitchener-Waterloo to Ottawa and Montreal. MacPherson said that as a lifelong Edmontonian, he doesn’t want to pick up and move at the age of 57.
He does, however, remain somewhat optimistic. “We’re the type of people who do think outside the box and sometimes necessity is the mother of invention.”
