Saskatoon airport continues to struggle as COVID-19 cases spike

As government measures increase across the country, the concern is growing at the Saskatoon Airport Authority.

With COVID-19 cases increasing in a majority of jurisdictions, Saskatoon Airport Authority CEO Stephen Maybury says the financial implications of less travelling is being realized.

“It’s been a stressful time,” Maybury said. “Financially, we’re incurring losses. They are operating losses that we currently are absorbing due to the pandemic, and we’re dealing with those with debt.”

In what Maybury calls “a new normal” for the airport, the fast-growing debt is beginning to affect capital investments and is forcing the airport to explore other ways to build revenue via rates and charges.

Maybury said flight capacity started to increase a few months after COVID-19 arrived in Saskatchewan, but with case numbers seeing a nearly 400 per cent increase between Oct. 27 and Nov. 27 there has now been a sharp decrease in passengers travelling.

“As recently as four weeks ago we noticed what we called a stalling out of the recovery,” Maybury said.

Passenger travel from the airport is down roughly 78 per cent compared to this time last year.

“Still dramatically down and ultimately very much impacting our business,” Maybury said.

There are currently anywhere from eight to 10 flights leaving Saskatoon’s airport per day.

Maybury said the authority is doing all it can to patiently wait for “any level of support” from the federal government to help see the airport survive until Canadians are travelling en masse again.