Regina International Airport
Encyclopedia
Regina International Airport is an international airport
located in Regina
, Saskatchewan
, Canada, located 2 NM south-west and 7 km (4.3 mi) west south-west of the city centre. It is run by the Regina Airport Authority
. It is, as of 2010, the second busiest airport in Saskatchewan (Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker being the busiest).
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
by NAV CANADA
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 120 passengers, however they can handle up to 250 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.
's horse race track, where visiting barnstormer
"Lucky Bob" St. Pierre (a Nebraskan whose real name was "Shaeffer" or "Shaffer") flew a Curtiss
Model D
biplane
in August, 1911. A few other barnstormers, notably aviatrix Katherine Stinson
of the famous aviation family, appeared in Regina and other prairie cities in the years thereafter, but there was virtually no other aviation activity in Western Canada
during the First World War
.
After the First World War, Reginan Roland Groome
returned from military service as a flying instructor in Southern Ontario
and, with partners, set up a company called the "Aerial Service Co." Its primitive airfield was located near what is the current intersection of Hill Avenue and Cameron Street in the city's southern Lakeview district. In May 1920, federal government regulators assigned this field the designation of Canada 's first licensed "air harbour". Groome also received Canadian commercial pilot's licence
No. 1 and mechanic Robert McCombie was given air engineer's licence No. 1.
The present airport site was developed in 1928-30. A terminal
building was built in 1940. Scheduled airline service was initially provided by Moose Jaw-based Prairie Airways (in 1938) and then Trans-Canada Air Lines
(in 1939). A new terminal building was erected in 1960.
Major renovations to this terminal building were conducted in 1983-86. A $24-million expansion started in January 2004, increasing its capacity to 1.2 million passengers per year. The first stage of the expansion included the expansion of the terminal and includes a larger post-security holding room, another passenger loading bridge, an expansion to the international arrivals area and more baggage carousels. The first phase was completed in August 2005.
The second phase is now under way and includes further expansion for security services as well as facilities for new tenants such as stores and eating establishments (including a Tim Hortons
). In 2009, construction began on two new jetways, one between gates 5 and 6, to the right of the glass atrium, and the other as an offshoot of gate 1. This is to keep up with airport demand and to further increase passenger comfort and safety in winter months.
On May 1, 1995, under the Canada-US Open Skies
agreement, Northwest Airlines
began service to Minneapolis – Saint Paul. United Express
has since begun non-stop service to Chicago O'Hare and Denver. In 1996 WestJet
began Boeing 737-200 service. Air Canada
, which began scheduled service to Regina in early 1939, ended mainline
service into Regina and six other medium-sized Canadian cities in October 2005, turning over these routes to its subsidiary Air Canada Jazz
and its fleet of Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ). Mainline service to Toronto
returned on November 2, 2008 using the Embraer E-190
aircraft.
Note: † denotes charter operators and their destinations
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
located in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada, located 2 NM south-west and 7 km (4.3 mi) west south-west of the city centre. It is run by the Regina Airport Authority
Regina Airport Authority
The Regina Airport Authority is the public, not-for-profit agency that oversees management of the Regina International Airport, which serves the Canadian city of Regina, Saskatchewan, and, indeed, the entire southern part of the province of Saskatchewan, a region that contains about 495,000 people...
. It is, as of 2010, the second busiest airport in Saskatchewan (Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker being the busiest).
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
Airport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
by NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 120 passengers, however they can handle up to 250 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.
History
The first site in Regina used for flying was the infield at Regina Exhibition ParkRegina Exhibition Park
Evraz Place, formerly Regina Exhibition Park, is an event site in the heart of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It holds entertainment, agri-business, sporting, recreational and cultural activities. Evraz Place has over half a million square feet of indoor space and close to one million square feet...
's horse race track, where visiting barnstormer
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
"Lucky Bob" St. Pierre (a Nebraskan whose real name was "Shaeffer" or "Shaffer") flew a Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
Model D
Curtiss Model D
|-See also:-External links:...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
in August, 1911. A few other barnstormers, notably aviatrix Katherine Stinson
Katherine Stinson
Katherine Stinson was an early female flier. She was the fourth woman in the United States to obtain a pilot's certificate, which she earned on July 24, 1912, at the age of 21 while residing in Pine Bluff, AR...
of the famous aviation family, appeared in Regina and other prairie cities in the years thereafter, but there was virtually no other aviation activity in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the First World War, Reginan Roland Groome
Roland Groome
Roland Groome was a Canadian aviator from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.Groome, who had served with the Royal Flying Corps as an instructor during World War I set up the "Aerial Service Co" in 1919, with his partner Ed Clark...
returned from military service as a flying instructor in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
and, with partners, set up a company called the "Aerial Service Co." Its primitive airfield was located near what is the current intersection of Hill Avenue and Cameron Street in the city's southern Lakeview district. In May 1920, federal government regulators assigned this field the designation of Canada 's first licensed "air harbour". Groome also received Canadian commercial pilot's licence
Pilot licensing in Canada
Pilot licensing in Canada is administered by Transport Canada under the Aeronautics Act and the Canadian Aviation Regulations .Other than when flying a hang glider or paraglider, a person may only operate a Canadian-registered aircraft or act as a flight crew member in Canada with a licence or...
No. 1 and mechanic Robert McCombie was given air engineer's licence No. 1.
The present airport site was developed in 1928-30. A terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building was built in 1940. Scheduled airline service was initially provided by Moose Jaw-based Prairie Airways (in 1938) and then Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines was a Canadian airline and operated as the country's flag carrier. Its corporate headquarters were in Montreal, Quebec...
(in 1939). A new terminal building was erected in 1960.
Major renovations to this terminal building were conducted in 1983-86. A $24-million expansion started in January 2004, increasing its capacity to 1.2 million passengers per year. The first stage of the expansion included the expansion of the terminal and includes a larger post-security holding room, another passenger loading bridge, an expansion to the international arrivals area and more baggage carousels. The first phase was completed in August 2005.
The second phase is now under way and includes further expansion for security services as well as facilities for new tenants such as stores and eating establishments (including a Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
). In 2009, construction began on two new jetways, one between gates 5 and 6, to the right of the glass atrium, and the other as an offshoot of gate 1. This is to keep up with airport demand and to further increase passenger comfort and safety in winter months.
On May 1, 1995, under the Canada-US Open Skies
Open skies
Open skies is an international policy concept which calls for the liberalization of rules and regulations on international aviation industry most specially commercial aviation - opening a free market for the airline industry...
agreement, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
began service to Minneapolis – Saint Paul. United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
has since begun non-stop service to Chicago O'Hare and Denver. In 1996 WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
began Boeing 737-200 service. Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, which began scheduled service to Regina in early 1939, ended mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...
service into Regina and six other medium-sized Canadian cities in October 2005, turning over these routes to its subsidiary Air Canada Jazz
Air Canada Jazz
Jazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
and its fleet of Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ). Mainline service to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
returned on November 2, 2008 using the Embraer E-190
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
aircraft.
Passenger services
The newly renovated passenger terminal now boasts the following services: A Tim Hortons "On the Go" and Gateway Lounge (Post-Security), the Aviator Grill Full-Service Restaurant (Pre-Security), also the intimate Street Side Cafe in the arrivals area. Stores include a Relay Duty-Free Outlet and Prairie Rumour Handicrafts located before security. There is also a business lounge, a children's play area, vending machines, free Wi-Fi and a historical display located post-security. There is also a four-currency ATM just prior to security that dispenses US and Canadian dollars, Euros and Pounds.Airlines and destinations
Note: † denotes charter operators and their destinations