WestJet is looking at Terrace as a potential destination for its new regional airline.

Terrace-Kitimat Airport Manager, Carman Hendry, met with Westjet officials in Calgary a couple of weeks ago.. where he was asked about the airport as a possible stop.

"The WestJet representatives I was sitting with definitely knew of Terrace, they knew what facilities we already had, they just wanted to hear it from us. They wanted to hear what our markets were, what are passengers stats were, legnth of runway, the facilities, and anything we could offer them."

The competition is tough, as a total of 30 airports across the country were interviewed as potential destinations.

Westjet would use a Dash Q-400 aircraft to make the trip to-and-from Vancouver.

The aircraft has more seating and is faster than the only other two airlines to service the area.

Air Canada Jazz and Hawkair have 37 and 50 passenger planes that take almost 2 hours to make the trip, where Westjet's new aircraft has 78 seats and can make the trip in just over an hour.

Hendry says they won't know if they've made the airline's schedule until next January.

Meanwhile, the airport is also pushing for a new G-P-S system.. that would increase landing and take-off reliability.

Hendry says.. right now they have a Instrument Landing System.

This technology directs planes to-and-from the airport with two beacons.. and by bouncing a signal off the ground.. which planes then follow through conditions with reduced visibility.

But according to Hendry, the current system has had problems in the past.

"We've had some difficulties with beacons on missed approaches in bad weather."

The new G-P-S, known as an L-P-V approach, would be programmed into a satellite system.. which can be read inside many aircrafts.

But first, the airport needs to provide a land survey to the local airport navigation services agency, known as NavCanada.

Hendry says after they supply the survey.. they will begin developing it.