(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Charlene Tebbutt

local airport

City councillors talk municipal airport

Apr 15, 2019 | 5:02 PM

A local city councillor is concerned about economic development, or rather the lack of it, at the Prince Albert Municipal Airport.

Ward 8 Coun. Ted Zurakowski raised the issue last week, saying a fire at the Transwest Air hangar in 2018 has left some without access to fuel when they fly into the city. Avgas, used in smaller aircraft, hasn’t been available since the fire, council heard.

“I’d just like to be able to give us a little nudge, in this forum, to see what we can do to be a little more proactive rather than waiting for another year to go by,” Zurakowski said last week. “If I want to land my airplane, I want to be able to put some gas in it.”

Director of Public Works Wes Hicks told council that it’s only one type of fuel that hasn’t been available since the fire, but jet fuel for commercial and other types of planes is readily available. Hicks said the local airport sees around 55 landings and takeoffs each day, adding that revenues from the sale of Avgas came to only about $1,700 per year.

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“The City of Prince Albert has never been the gas station; it’s a private operation,” Hicks added. “But with the burning down of the Transwest hangar, so went the fuel station for that Avgas.”

While the city isn’t responsible for providing aviation fuel, Zurakowski said the lack of Avgas is just one of several issues he sees with the economic viability of the local airport. He said now is also a good time to take a look at what land is available for development and what leases or contracts can be reviewed and improved upon.

“It’s not a large dollar amount, but I’d like to see that service provided, as it was before,” he added. “I think there’s a lot of opportunities and I’m not sure if those discussions are moving forward with those interested.”

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Charlene.tebbutt@Jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt