Hyggen responds to WestJet announcing the discontinuance of Lethbridge flights
By Lethbridge Herald on February 26, 2026.
Herald Photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Mayor Blaine Hyggen says airport will remain open despite WestJet announcing discontinuing commercial flights come June 24.By Alexandra Noad
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter- Lethbridge Herald
WestJet announced on Monday they will be discontinuing their commercial flights out of Lethbridge as of June 24.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen says this announcement came as a complete bombshell to him, but was a prime example of “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
“I understand a lot of the struggles over the past (few years) that folks have had with their cancellations et cetera…but if it’s not viable for a business, and that being WestJet, we’ve seen this prior with AirCanada, this is why they decide to make some of these decisions they’ve made.”
The Lethbridge airport underwent a $2.3 million renovation, but Hyggen clarified that the 93 per cent of the funding for the project came from provincial and federal supports.
“I want to be perfectly clear that 93 per cent of the cost for the renovations at the airport to get it to where it needs to be, not just for commercial, but also for the infrastructure that needed to be replaced, was by provincial dollars.”
The Lethbridge airport is home to medevac services, RCMP landing, private planes and an air school and will not be closed down because of those services, but Hyggen also recognizes the importance of having commercial flights to keep the airport sustainable.
Conversations began Tuesday for city council as they approved a work plan for the airport which includes looking at bringing in other prospective airlines to the airport.
Hyggen says they hope to get a carrier to continue commercial flights out of Lethbridge sooner rather than later.
“The plan going forward is to continue to do our work as far as the work plan that was presented to us yesterday and try to reach out to other smaller carriers that may be able to do those trips to Calgary, Edmonton or maybe there’s someplace else that folks are finding there’s a large demand to fly to.”
He adds that he is confident in his administration and the work they will continue to do, but there’s a long road ahead of them.
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I wonder if Hyggen understands that the $25 million spent didn’t just appear out of thin air. It was taxpayer money which is you and I.