Air Service in the Edmonton Metro Region

The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a major impact on the local, regional, provincial, national and international economies, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Spanish Flu of 1918. As a result, governments at the local, provincial and federal levels are in various stages of planning their return to normal plans, post COVID. While governments are embarking on this massive undertaking, so too are investors, corporations and the private sector. Anecdotally, some have suggested that post-COVID, we can expect to return to a pre-COVID economy and lifestyle, but that it would take upwards of three years for all sectors to fully recover.

Due to the unprecedented effects COVID-19 has played on our region, on May 27, 2021, the first ever Tri-Lateral meeting was held with members of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) and CAO’s, Edmonton Global Board Members and Executives, as well as Edmonton International Airports (EIA) Board Members and Executives, to discuss opportunities for regional air service economic initiatives that would enable the Edmonton-region to recover its pre-COVID air connections to the world. At stake and without a coordinated, collaborative approach, the Edmonton region is at risk of losing its ability to be home to an international airport, potentially becoming a future “regional hub”, resulting in significant implications for the region’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness and growth.

The teams from Edmonton Global and EIA have also been aggressively lobbying both the Governments of Alberta and Canada in order to receive funding to assist regional airports in attracting flights. At the time of writing, no commitments have been made. However, in February EIA received a grant from the Government of Canada totaling $18M to support a $36M expansion of its cargo operations.

Having strong passenger and cargo routes are critical to ensuring the region remains globally competitive.

 

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, along with the Greater Edmonton Region Chambers of Commerce (Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce is one), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP) have agreed to play lead roles in activating our region’s business community on this important issue.

As a chamber we are: