Trail says 'no' to regional airport study; sticks to Trail Regional Airport plan instead
By City of Trail
The City of Trail would like to clarify that it does not support the proposed Regional Airport Study being developed through the West Kootenay Economic Development group. The City of Trail will be moving forward with the Trail Regional Airport Plan that will advance options to improve and enhance current operations, infrastructure and economic development.
“The city believes that, as a community, we need to consider what level of service council wants to provide independent from the airport in Castlegar. Therefore the city remains committed to leverage the investment made in 2014 to acquire the Trail Regional Airport,” says Mayor Mike Martin. “In order to ensure our regional customers get reliable air access at competitive travel rates, it is imperative the city continues with the necessary facility and operational improvements to run the Trail Regional Airport. The Trail airport is a vital establishment for medical and Medevac Air Ambulance travel as well as business and personal travel. If we want Trail to continue to thrive, then the Trail Regional Airport needs to be viewed as a critical economic building block that will help maintain and improve the region’s long-term sustainability.”
The city is currently undertaking its own planning study that will help determine the best approach to the construction of a new terminal building as well as identify other opportunities for the significant land holdings at the airport. The city may also try to secure a more immediate funding commitment for the terminal with recent grant opportunities being announced and is also working on securing an Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) Grant for the runway; if the grant is approved, it will allow the city to consider further runway expansion opportunities in order to accommodate larger aircraft.
With the addition of the Pacific Coastal Trail/Kelowna route and the recently approved lowered approach minimums, the city wants to ensure that passengers have appropriate services when choosing to use the Trail Regional Airport. With the potential for boundary extension in the more immediate future, the City also looks forward to completing further development planning that could look to take advantage of the lands in the area as well as the transportation linkages that currently include air, rail and road.
