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Geoff Ritchie, an aviation expert with more than 30 years of experience, has been named the new president and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA).
Ritchie is a Royal Air Force-trained aeronautical engineer and has held a variety of roles in the industry, including work as an Air Force liaison with the Air Accident Investigation Branch of the Department of Transport. He was also part of the leadership team at Kelowna International Airport.
He replaces Gordon Duke, who announced his retirement last year.
Ritchie's portfolio in Kelowna included capital projects, business and commercial development, air service strategy and community engagement.
He told The Citizen that helping move Kelowna from the 11th busiest airport in Canada to the ninth is one of the many highlights of his career.
“Airports don't jump other airports in Canada necessarily,” Ritchie said. “They generally grow together. We very strategically went after air service at Kelowna to manage the recovery out of COVID. From 11th to ninth in Canada is very significant. So I think that's one of the highlights.”
Enhanced air service is also something he hopes to bring to Prince George Airport (YXS), but he said that requires support not only from the PGAA team, but the community as well.
“The opportunities are here for sure,” said Ritchie. “Air service development is a very collaborative effort. It needs the local community and the regional community to be on board to support it.
“You can turn up with any size airplane you like on the apron, but if people don’t buy tickets, the air service is not going to stay. It’s a very, very risky and highly expensive operation for an airline to restart a new route. So the community has to be behind that in order to make it successful.
“That’s one of my key emphases. It’s not just what my team and I are going to do here. It’s collaboratively what are we going to do across the community for regional economic growth?”
Ritchie sees YXS as not only essential to the North, but as a key driver of the region’s economy.
“Any airport’s important, but this one’s particularly important,” he said. “We are the largest city in northern BC. We need access for various things, whether it’s tourism, visiting friends and family, or business. Everybody needs to be able to get out, particularly over the winter season.
“I spent 25 years in Edmonton, so I know what it’s like to be up to your knees in snow. That air access is hugely important. If we can maintain that and grow that, then it becomes one of the key regional economic drivers.”
He added that he’s happy to be in the Prince George area and is looking forward to what’s ahead.
“I like Prince George,” said Ritchie. “I’ve been here a few times now. Every time that I’ve come here, the people are very friendly and very respectful. Everyone I’ve come across has been very welcoming and very interested in what’s happening and what the opportunities are. So I’m really looking forward to what the future can bring.”
Ritchie said he hopes to see both YXS and the broader region grow together during his tenure as CEO.
“We see YXS as an economic engine,” he said. “Whatever we grow will help the region grow — and vice versa. I think it’s all about the partnerships, and that success happens when we all work together.
“We’ve got space, we’ve got infrastructure, we’ve got the team to make that growth happen. I think it’s an exciting time for the airport and for the region.”
