The Saskatoon Airport Authority has seen current passenger demands decrease 98% from this time last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the SAA’s annual public meeting this week, President and CEO Stephen Maybury says along with aircraft seats being down 75%, plummeting revenue, increased pandemic costs and cancelled capital investments, they are being tested in terms of financial viability.
Maybury says the SAA is currently forecasting a recovery period into 2022. He explains, within a primarily fixed cost and highly regulated airport environment, operating expenses cannot be reduced in proportion to traffic. Maybury says the SAA must retain their same high standard of safety and security to remain open to move goods, essential workers, medivacs, northern flights and other important services for Saskatchewan’s economy and ultimate recovery.
Maybury concluded by saying the SAA’s short term goals are to have a defined path to financial viability, to be positioned for the inevitable post pandemic recovery and to get through this together.
The SAA’s public meeting was held virtually for the first time in the authority’s history due to the pandemic.
