The private owners of Okotoks Air Ranch in southern Alberta have told tenants that the facility will be closed to fixed wing operations later this year. Okotoks Today is reporting that the owners got tired of pouring money into the money losing venture. “It is just not sustainable from a financial standpoint,” spokesman Bill Pringle, told the news outlet “It’s been like that from Day 1. They (the owners) just ran out of money and patience. “It’s been a financial drag and the owners don’t have the capacity any longer to support that financial drag.”
A flight school, Calgary-Okotoks Flying School, and 10-20 private operators will be directly affected but the school declined comment. It will have to move if it intends to continue operating. “That is why we gave six months’ notice,” Pringle said. “We are trying to sort this out with the users on how to make this as gentle as possible.” A spokesman for In-Flight Data, a commercial drone operator based at the airport said he’s hopeful to continue using the airport and Foothills Helicopter Training Academy. Spokeswoman Jacki Krsa told the publication it’s unclear what their future is. “We have a designation as a heliport so we can at least continue to operate,” Krsa said. “But I am going to have to wait and see what happens… I’m hopeful it doesn’t mean we have to close.”