Soaring Growth

Sep 1, 2009

Alberta’s busiest airport has a few high-flying ideas to keep up with passenger numbers

by Stephanie Sparks

For the last few years, the city of Calgary has been growing at a rapid pace. Calgary Economic Development reported last September that 2009 would see the population grow by 1.8% to 2% over 2008 numbers. Since reaching one million residents in 2006, the city’s population hasn’t slowed down. So it’s no wonder that the Calgary International Airport (YYC) is eagerly expanding.

In February, the Calgary International Airport released its passenger numbers for 2008, which saw a record 12.5 million passengers. The YYC proudly declared itself the third busiest airport in Canada after Toronto’s Pearson International and Vancouver International. Two months later, the Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International released its revised numbers, which returned it to third place. But Calgary continues to be the busiest airport in Alberta, and Montreal can’t take that away.

The downturn has forced travellers to think locally and caused the YYC to forecast a 6% decrease in local enplaned and deplaned passengers for the year. However, its overall passenger growth is expected to increase 3% to 4% every year, leading to 27 million passengers in 2025.

Despite the mix-up, the YYC still can’t deny its passenger numbers. In fact, it’s welcoming more travellers by building a 1,900-stall parkade with a price tag of $85 million, due for completion in December 2009.

These increased growth rates are attributed to the non-stop flights added to the airport’s repertoire. In May 2009, KLM Royal Dutch Shell Airlines and Delta Air Lines began offering five-day-a-week service to Amsterdam, while Lufthansa (to Frankfurt) and Mexicana Airlines (to Mexico City) added non-stop flights as well.

To prepare for this growth, the airport is investing $3 billion over the next decade to build the East Concourse and a north-south runway. The concourse meets the demand to expand its international facilities, and construction is set to commence in 2010 with completion targeted for 2015.

The new runway, what the YYC calls “the most important 14,000 feet in Alberta” (or less glamorously known as 16L-34R), will run parallel to the existing 16-34. It should see construction begin in fall 2011 and be operational by 2014.

With the expansions come increased traffic, and commuters are expressing concerns over the closure of Barlow Trail NE from McKnight Boulevard to the airport, which will leave travellers with only one access point to the YYC. Development of an underground tunnel to the airport (to alleviate heavy traffic on alternate routes and improve travel times to the airport) is estimated to cost $394 billion, if it makes it into the city’s transportation plan – and if Calgary’s Airport Authority allows for a tunnel under the runway.