Holiday rush preparation underway at Calgary airport after summer hail damage [Video]

The Calgary International Airport is gearing up for a record travel season, but the effects of a devastating summer hailstorm that pummeled the city linger.

Chris Miles, the chief operating officer of the Calgary Airport Authority, said all of the hail damage has not been repaired, but it won’t affect the expected holiday season rush. 

“We’re not expecting to see an impact from the hail itself in capacity or having to curtail flights,” Miles told a news conference Thursday.

“You will see areas of the terminal where we are still repairing initial damage. The process to restore (the most heavily damaged) concourse … is not coming back until July of 2026.”

He added: “It’s a long road to recovery. 

“When you look at that storm — and it was 11 kilometres wide and 100 kilometres long — the entire community here … were absolutely hammered.”

The Aug. 5 storm brought significant hail, strong winds, heavy rain and localized …