Lloydminster Airport

Built in 1981 for $6.3 million{{cite book|last=Forgotten Echoes Historical Society|title=Forgotten echoes: a history of Blackfoot and surrounding area|year=1982|location=Blackfoot, Alberta|page=59|url=http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=3622422|access-date=2013-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924075815/http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=3622422|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}} to replace the previous Lloydminster Airport, the new airport serves as the largest airport in the region. Despite the City of Lloydminster's status as a border city straddling the provincial border, the airport is located entirely within Alberta, whereas the old airport was within Saskatchewan. Remnants of the old airport are still visible today at {{Coord|53|17|54.45|N|110|00|03.85|W|type:airport_region:CA-AB|name=Old Lloydminster Airport}}.

On November 24, 2017, WestJet announced that it had signed a deal with Pacific Coastal Airlines to launch a new regional air carrier called WestJet Link. The goal of this partnership was to connect smaller communities in both Alberta and British Columbia. Lloydminster was one of those communities. Although the launch date was supposed to be March 8, 2018, it wound up being delayed until June 21.{{cite web | url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3879534/westjet-flights-western-canada-airline-flying-westjet-link-pacific-coastal/ | title=WestJet launches new regional air service in Western Canada with Pacific Coastal | Globalnews.ca }} On February 18, 2021, WestJet announced the suspension of service to Lloydminster and three other destinations due to low demand stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news | url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/westjet-cancels-more-domestic-routes-including-lloydminster-and-medicine-hat | title=WestJet cancels more domestic routes, including Lloydminster and Medicine Hat | newspaper=Calgaryherald }} On December 14, 2023, WestJet permanently grounded service to Lloydminster,{{cite web | url=https://www.mylloydminsternow.com/62416/featured/westjet-grounds-its-lloydminster-link-service/ | title=WestJet grounds its Lloydminster Link service | date=14 December 2023 }} and the following day, city council announced it had request further meetings with WestJet to discuss that decision.{{cite web | url=https://www.mylloydminsternow.com/62442/featured/city-of-lloydminster-seeks-talks-with-westjet-over-flight-cessation/ | title=City of Lloydminster seeks talks with WestJet over flight cessation | date=15 December 2023 }} On January 30, 2024, representatives from the city council, including the mayor, did meet with WestJet in Calgary to plead their case, pointing to the newly-upgraded runway and ability for customs clearance as reasons why the airline should continue to service Lloydminster. However, that did nothing to change WestJet's mind, who announced their departure from YLL would occur on April 15.{{cite web | url=https://www.mylloydminsternow.com/63792/featured/westjet-sticks-to-plan-to-end-flights-to-lloydminster/ | title=WestJet sticks to plan to end flights to Lloydminster | date=12 February 2024 }} A month after the airline left, the city council commissioned aviation consultancy firm HM Aero to commence a study on the viability of new air service. However, the results will not be released until the study's conclusion sometime between August and September.{{cite web | url=https://meridiansource.ca/?p=24694 | title=City making case for new air service - Meridian Source | date=16 May 2024 }}

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• [https://copanational.org/en/places-to-fly/ Place to Fly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116053856/https://copanational.org/en/places-to-fly/ |date=2021-01-16 }} on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory

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Category:Certified airports in Alberta

Category:Lloydminster

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