A large crowd turned out for the re-opening. of the Stephenville International Airport on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Diane Crocker/THE TELEGRAMArticle contentThere was an air of positivity as around 500 people filled the terminal at the Stephenville International Airport on Friday, Oct. 2.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThey were there to celebrate the grand re-opening of the airport under the new ownership of BTG Capital.Article contentArticle contentGone was the negativity that has surrounded the facility since it was purchased by Carl Dymond in August 2023 and closed less than two years later, in June 2025.Article contentArticle content Stephenville International Airport. Diane Crocker/THE TELEGRAMArticle contentBTG Capital assumed the mortgage on the airport in November 2025 and pushed Dymond into receivership in January after he failed to make payments on the debt.Article contentThe Calgary-based company purchased the airport in June through a sale process under the receivership.Article content Dave McGrath, left, Stephenville International Airport operations and business development manager, and Andrew Gibbons, a representative of the BTG ownership group. Diane Crocker/THE TELEGRAMArticle contentWhat is BTG planning for the Stephenville Airport?Article contentBTG has big plans for the airport, and Andrew Gibbons, a representative of the ownership group, said the first step in that was completed on Friday with the reopening.Article content“Stephenville Airport is open. Open for business, open for refueling, and open to our business objectives for the facility,” Gibbons said.Article contentArticle content“So, this is day one, the starting gun has gone off, and now we get to work recruiting businesses, attracting investment, working with government of all levels. That work has already begun, but today’s really the symbolic start of all that.”Article content The Stephenville International Airport was officially re-opened on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Diane Crocker/THE TELEGRAMArticle contentArticle contentGibbons acknowledged that welcoming commercial airlines to the airport, which is currently classed as an aerodrome, is still a way off.Article contentBut he said things are happening there, that planes are stopping to refuel and the facility is open.Article content“It is open. It is a public facility now, and it has services and capabilities that are open for investors, open for heavy usage, open for logistics companies, and yes, once we get Transport Canada certification, open to passenger airlines,” Gibbons said.Article content“This is a symbolic day for the community and for the ownership group to just say thank you and have a moment with them and what a moment it was.”Article content Stephenville Mayor Bob Byrnes, left, spoke with Brett Stevenson of BTG Capital at the reopening of the Stephenville International Airport on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Diane Crocker/THE TELEGRAMArticle contentHow do Stephenville residents feel?Article contentGary Jesso was one of the residents of the town that packed into the terminal to attend the reopening.
‘Open for business’: With new owners, what’s next for the Stephenville Airport?
