SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Medevac flights out of the NWT may experience some turbulence after crews began work to close one of two runways at the Edmonton City Centre Airport yesterday.

The closure is one of the first steps in shutting down the airport, which is currently the primary landing space for air ambulance flights from the territory.

As the airport gradually shuts down, Kim Zenko, operations manager for Air Tindi, said the biggest issue is the new alternate airport.

Air Tindi holds the government contract for air ambulance flights in the territory.

When flying in conditions where pilots have to use their instruments to show where they're going, rather than their own eyes like at night or in poor weather, which Zenko said is common for medevac flights, sufficient fuel may become an issue.

"There are no other really good alternate airports close to Edmonton than Calgary," he said. "Now every time we take off out of Yellowknife or anywhere in the North... we now have to carry that difference in fuel."

On days when the weather is not good, Zenko said medevac flights will have to stop and refuel before reaching Edmonton; he guessed probably in Peace River or Fort McMurray.

Zenko said these refueling stops normally take about half an hour.

Don Siddle has been flying charter flights, including medevac flights, between the Edmonton City Centre Airport and the North for 11 years.

According to Siddle, even though one runway will be left open for now, the partial closure could greatly affect incoming medevac flights.

Siddle said the plan to close one runway and use the other is not a solution.

"They're apples and oranges," he said comparing the two runways.

He said landing at the airport in poor weather will become more difficult after the closure of one of the runways because the one that will remain open is not as well equipped.

Siddle explained that before pilots are allowed to land, they must be able to see the ground - either the runway itself, or high-intensity lights that show the pilot where the runway is.

He said while the runway that will remain open at the city centre airport has lights, they are not nearly as powerful as the ones on the runway being closed.

In poor weather conditions like fog or snow, the pilot may not be able to see these lights, let alone the runway, and will be forced to land at the Edmonton International Airport anyway.

As the airport is gradually shut down, Zenko said the biggest issue is the new alternate airport.

If the Edmonton-based advocacy group, Envision Edmonton gathers 76,000 signatures from registered voters by Aug. 3, Edmonton City Council will be required to hold a plebiscite so the public can vote on the closure. If not, the closure of the airport will proceed as planned.

The final number of signatures was not available by press time.

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