Regina’s air traffic control tower will undergo a service review by NAV Canada. The news has caused some concern for members of the Regina Airport Authority.
NAV Canada, a private, not-for-profit air navigation company which provides air traffic control and weather briefings among other services, is looking to streamline operations for six air traffic control towers in the country including Regina, Fort McMurray, Alta., Prince George Tower, B.C., Sault Ste. Marie Tower, Ont., Whitehorse, Yukon, and Windsor, Ont.
According to a statement by NAV Canada, the six locations were identified for review due to long-term air traffic levels, even before the pandemic.
“This includes completing a rigorous, safety-focused review of air traffic to determine whether airport advisory services should be offered in lieu of air traffic control,” said NAV Canada in a news release.
“NAV Canada must continue to fulfill its commitment to efficiently run Canada’s air navigation system, ensuring that the services supplied align with market demands.”
James Bogusz, CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, learned of the situation back on November 12. He said they had a conversation with NAV Canada on Tuesday to talk about the process they want to undertake with the review.
Bogusz said they have also asked for assurances that any review would not include the prospect of closing the air traffic control tower at YQR. “As an airport, we are obviously concerned about this,” he admitted.
He pointed to a number of reasons why it’s important to have an air traffic control tower at the Regina International Airport including people being able to see the airport in real time.
“The tower is open between 16 to 17 hours a day and helps manage the variety of traffic we have which includes aircrafts, training flights, snowplows,” explained Bogusz. “All the coordinated effort is done by actual people in the tower watching this activity and using radios to make sure they are being efficient.”
Bogusz added they can technically operate if there were changes to those services, but it would be in a “very constrained way.”
He’s not sure what may come of the review. He said things may stay the same – or there could be changes.
“The issue for us here at the airport, and certainly one that is shared by the Government of Saskatchewan, the City of Regina and many other stakeholders, is we don’t want to go down a road that may see any reduction to the capabilities of the capital city’s airport in Saskatchewan,” mentioned Bogusz. “That’s completely unacceptable.”
The review is expected to start in December and should take six to 12 months.