A one-stop shop Red Deer Regional Airport converts terminal into FBO By Shayna Wiwierski
Construction started in November 2019 to turn the existing terminal at the Red Deer Regional Airport into a full-service Fixed-Based Operator (FBO), in partnership with Tucana Aviation.
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ed Deer Regional Airport recently made changes to its terminal after Air Canada ceased service in 2018.
Construction started in November 2019 to turn the existing terminal at the Red Deer Regional Airport into a full-service Fixed-Based Operator (FBO), in partnership with Tucana Aviation. Since the airport was home to mainly flight training schools and charter flights in support of the oil patch, a decision was made to focus on
growing this business, while at the same time providing a better level of service for its existing customers. As a result, they entered into a partnership agreement with Tucana Aviation, a local Red Deer company that has experience operating FBOs, and with that, the contacts necessary to help grow the airport charter business. “That was part of our business development strategy,” says Graham Ingham, CEO of the Red Deer Regional Airport. “We chose Tucana for several
The FBO at the airport will provide support in the form of fueling, deicing, maintenance, catering, transportation/accommodation logistics, and more.
reasons, with the primary being that they already had a business presence at the airport, and therefore already significantly invested from a business perspective. Additionally, they understood that for this venture to be successful, they would need to invest some of their own money. That’s always a win-win; anytime you can help existing tenants expand their business, that’s something we look upon favourably.” The FBO at the airport will provide support in the form of fueling, deicing, maintenance, catering, transportation/ accommodation logistics, and more. The renovation was completed in the first week of December and included new flooring, a new ceiling, a private flight crew lounge, and a general overall facelift to the building, which was built in the 1970s. Ingham says that the response from carriers that have been using the FBO has been positive and that they like the fact that they have only one person to call for all their needs.
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Alberta Airports Management Association • 2020
