Following the closure of the City Centre Airport last month, Edmonton police are moving their flight operations 35km to Villeneuve Airport for “at least the next three years” — despite the additional 12 minute delay each way to get to the city and a corresponding reduction in on-scene time.

The City Centre Airport had been the base for police flight operations for 25 years, starting initially with fixed wing and adding a Eurocopter EC120 in 2001. A second of the type followed in 2009. The fixed wing operation consists of a sole Cessna 182Q, purchased in 1993.

Meanwhile a longer term aim remains to build a dedicated heliport at a more central location, but zoning issues have brought many delays and no land has yet been secured by the City despite a site being identified in the northwest segment of the city.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com