FAQs

Please refer to the information provided on the project page on engagement opportunities. The City is collecting feedback through a variety of ways, including an online survey, in-person sessions, and using Shape Your City.

The Airport Master Plan will ensure that the City is governing, administering, and operating YXH in a manner that responds to the priorities of its users, tenants, and regional stakeholders, including residents and businesses. By taking a systematic, long-term approach to advacing the airport, strategies can be implemented to ensuring that all decisions make use of the best available information and that future flexibility will not be affected. The Airport Master Plan will be an important tool to understand the financial resources that the City and external parties need to allocate towards YXH.

The last comprehensive Airport Master Plan was completed in 2006 with additional planing exercises completed in 2012 and 2018 focused specifically on runway requirements, development, and investment attraction. The City has completed numerous improvements to YXH since the last Airport Master Plan was prepared and planning must respond to evolving circumstances, such as the significant growth experienced in flight training, changes to airline services, and the regional economic context.

The City is actively engaged in air service development efforts and recognizes the significant importance of airline connectivity to the region. The Airport Master Plan will complement the City's current and future air service development efforts by ensuring that the facilities and supporting services of YXH align with the needs of airlines, travellers and forecasted demands on the facilities. The importance of airline service to the region will be explored through the Strategic Plan engagement process and will be reflected in the vision, mission, and strategic goals.

The Airport Master Plan is not:

• Binding on the City - the Airport Master Plan is a resource that provides guidance and recommendations
• A commitment to a firm schedule for project implementation - the Airport Master Plan will identify target planning horizons, but the City will retain flexibility on timelines
• Budget approval for airport projects - all capital and operating requests recommended through the Airport Master Plan will be subject to consideration through the City's budget process
• The detailed design for infrastructure projects - all planning concepts will be subject to validation and potential refinement through the engineering and architectural design processes
• A guarantee of how YXH will grow and evolve in the future - the Airport Master Plan will examine known and anticipated conditions to forecast future requirements, but new factors will emerge over time
• A Departmental business plan - the Airport Department will continue to be responsible for its biennial business planning, which will be assisted by the Airport Master Plan

YXH is publicly available for aircraft operations 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The City of Medicine Hat has owned YXH since 1947 and operates the facility as a tax-supported municipal department under the Development and Infrastructure Division. The City is responsible for:

• Operating YXH in compliance with all regulatory obligations, including the extensive requirements imposed by Transport Canada on certified airport operators;
• Maintaining the public infrastructure of YXH, such as the runways, taxiways, aprons, lighting and navigation aids, terminal building, roads, and parking lot. This includes both routine maintenance (e.g., inspections, snow clearing, ice control, grass cutting) and major rehabilitation and replacement projects;
• Leading the business-related aspects of YXH, such as advancing air service development efforts, administering lease agreements for private hangars and businesses, and marketing. The City continually works with WestJet to ensure that air service offerings meet the needs of the region. However, the City does not decide what days or times flights are offered, destinations, or ticket prices;
• Completing long-range planning, business planning, and budgeting; and
• Responding to emergencies (Medicine Hat Fire & Emergency Services, Medicine Hat Police Service) alongside other agencies such as Alberta EHS. 

NAV CANADA is the non-profit corporation that maintains the national civil air navigation system. At YXH, NAV CANADA operates a Flight Service Station and:

• Provides aerodrome advisory services to pilots and control services to maintenance vehicles;
• Provides weather observation, reporting, and local forecasting services; and
• Maintains the instrument approach and departure procedures.

Private businesses provide a range of supporting services to passengers and aircraft operators, such as passenger check-in and customer service, baggage handling, aircraft fuelling, maintenance, and hangar storage. These businesses are permitted to operate at YXH through lease agreements with the City, but the City is not directly involved in the services that they provide.

The City has actively invested in YXH in recent years, with major initiatives including:

• 2013-2015 - Expansion and modernization of the terminal building
• 2016 - Expansion of the air carrier parking apron and rehabilitation of taxiway pavements
• 2017-2018 - Rehabilitation of the primary runway and taxiway, including the pavement surfaces, underground drainage, and lighting
• 2023 - Replacement of the runway approach lighting system and airfield signs

The City has also advanced numerous safety critical projects, including modernizing the maintenance equipment fleet, increasing airport staffing levels, and fulfilling all regulatory obligations imposed by Transport Canada such as personnel training and emergency response exercises.