The Regina International Airport is continuing to try and establish a direct route to an American city like Denver, Chicago or Minneapolis.
As those efforts continue, people in southern Saskatchewan can now get to different spos in the United States since an airport has opened three hours south the Queen City in Williston, North Dakota.
The Regina Airport Authority says the arrival of a brand new airport in Williston doesn’t deter their efforts to bring an American carrier back to Regina that will provide a direct flight south of the border.
“They are a very different market. Even if they are taking a small portion of passengers who may fly through the U.S., the Canadian customer, for the most part, is going to have a reasonable proximity in which they are willing to drive,” said James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina airport.
The Williston Basin International Airport offers three flights a day to Denver and two to Minneapolis.
Bogusz said they have already been dealing with that problem in the form of Reginans and other Saskatchewan residents journeying to Minot, North Dakota for direct flights in the U.S. So it certainly is not a knockout punch for the airport.
He said at the end of the day, the choice comes right down to the traveller. “It really depends where people want to spend their money – and what economy they want to support – whether they want to support Saskatchewan or North Dakota’s economy.”
Bogusz recognizes how important getting flights from Regina to an American destination are and he confirmed he’s working diligently with United Airlines to make that happen.
