Officials in Brandon unveiled plans to overhaul the city's airport on Thursday.
The city hopes to put $1.5 million towards airport upgrades.
It's Brandon's latest effort to bring increased air service to western Manitoba.
Officials said the airport is already capable of handling traffic from large planes but the terminal, built about 40 years ago, isn't designed for large crowds of passengers.
The new plans call for an updated layout including new baggage carousels, ticket counters and security features.
"We will have as secure an airport as Winnipeg to meet all of those standards," said Brandon mayor Shari Decter Hirst.
Earlier this year, WestJet announced it will be expanding and launching air service in smaller Canadian communities, but it has not confirmed which ones yet.
In the Brandon area, about 10,000 people signed an online petition aimed at encouraging WestJet to fly out of the city.
Brandon mayor Shari Decter Hirst said the airport upgrades will only be made if the city lands regional air service from WestJet. The city said it has some money budgeted for the project but would also need provincial and federal dollars in order to pay for airport upgrades.
- with a report from CTV's Josh Crabb
