After 2 hard years, Alberta's major airports now seeing return of passengers, employees

Alberta's two major airports are seeing passengers return but for years to come will continue to feel impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadian airports were hard hit by the pandemic. People hunkering down at home alongside travel restrictions meant passenger traffic dried up, with flight centres often responding by cutting down on costs and employees.

In Alberta, the international airports serving Edmonton and Calgary are starting to see passengers return but full recovery to their former status is still some ways off.

"Things are recovering, and people are starting to travel again," said Steve Maybee, vice-president operations, infrastructure and communications at Edmonton International Airport (YEG).

"So it's much better and much more positive."

Employment is also climbing steadily after massive layoffs during COVID-19.

Before the pandemic hit, the airport employed around 300 workers, Maybee said. About 30 per cent were laid off, he said.

"We have hired some of those folks back," he said, adding that the airport authority is taking a phased approach to hiring as it builds up again.

Service employees are also returning as restaurants and other airport businesses reopen.

A recent decision from the Alberta Labour Relations Board indicates that all 138 workers of one service employer with multiple outlets at the Edmonton airport were laid off in 2020.

Maybee said staffing remains an issue as people left aviation, which for years was secure without the ups and downs of other industries. He said there are now more inexperienced people in frontline jobs, learning as best they can.

But it does slow some processing, he said.

"As the industry recovers, passengers will come back faster than some of the efficiencies that we can put in place."

The Edmonton and Calgary airports are both turning to technology to help smooth things out, recently implementing apps for virtual queuing in security lines.