The Regina airport is one step closer to getting direct flights from the Queen City to the United States.
Regina city council approved a five-year tax exemption that would save the airport more than $500,000.
The money saved would allow the airport to create incentives for U.S. airlines including revenue guarantees, landing and terminal fee reductions and cash for marketing.
“Airlines specifically that we would target would be the ones who flew here before. This would be airlines like United and Delta,” said James Bogusz, Regina Airport Authority president and CEO.
“I have personally spoken to both in the last 18 months and really what we see as the best or most likely prospect is an opportunity to service Denver.”
For Regina Mayor Michael Fougere, it was a decision he described as a “no brainer.”
“We think it’s great. If they can land a new airline coming here than that’s fantastic,” Fougere said.
There are conditions to the exemption including having to have a deal in place by the end of 2020 with the service starting by no later than the end of 2021.
“It’s conditional on them actually securing that airline flight to Regina from the U.S. and if they don’t do it, they lose the exemption,” Fougere said.
“It’s related to their performance, which I believe is really positive.”
Regina airport used to offer both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, but lost both services in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
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