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June 2013 Newsletter
Vancouver Airport Authority Introduces New President and CEO
The Vancouver Airport Authority announced the appointment of Craig Richmond as its new president and CEO. Photo credit: Ric Ernst, PNG.
The Vancouver Airport Authority announced on June 18th that Craig Richmond will be its new president and CEO. Mr. Richmond will officially start on July 2nd, replacing outgoing president and CEO, Larry Berg, who has served as the airport's top chief executive for 15 years.

"Not many people can say that the job they wished for as a child is the job they will actually one day have as an adult. To be back in Vancouver at what I believe is the best airport in the world is a dream come true," said Mr. Richmond. "I look forward to working with the exceptional team of Airport Authority employees. Together with the 23,000 people who work at the airport we will continue to create an airport that shows our pride in B.C., that British Columbians can be proud of and that every passenger can enjoy."

Mr. Richmond previously worked for the Vancouver Airport Authority in 1995 where he served as vice president of operations. In 2006, Mr. Richmond joined the Vantage Airport Group, which manages airports around the world. He worked as the president and CEO of the Nassau Airport Development Company in the Bahamas, and then as CEO of three airports in Northern England (Liverpool John Lennon, Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield, and Durham Tees Valley).

One of Mr. Richmond's priorities will be be to stop the growing number of Canadians who are crossing the border to take cheaper flights out of Washington state (Seattle and Bellingham).

"I think we're at a bit of a structural disadvantage with the American airports because where we pay rent, they don't have to pay rent. They can get grants from the government," said Mr. Richmond.
ACI-NA Recognizes Winners of 2013 Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Contest
Alana Lawrence (left) and John Korenic (right) from the Vancouver Airport Authority accept their first place award for television advertising from the chair of ACI-NA's marketing and communications committee Cheryl Brown. Photo credit: ACI-NA.
Airports Council International-North America awarded the winning entries for excellence in airport marketing and communications at its 2013 Marketing and Communications Conference and JumpStart� Air Development Program in Atlanta.

For the second consecutive year, the Vancouver Airport Authority is the recipient of the contest's top honor, the Peggy G. Hereford Overall Award for Excellence.

This award is regarded throughout the airport industry as the highest honor an airport can earn for marketing and communications excellence. 

The Vancouver Airport Authority garnered first place in five categories and received 10 awards total.

"ACI-NA congratulates the winners of the 2013 Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Contest, and we truly appreciate the quality of entries that we received across all categories this year," said ACI-NA President Greg Principato.

"The creativity and imagination exhibited by this year's entries clearly demonstrate that airports continue to innovate how they share the message of their economic importance to the communities they serve."

This year, 53 airports and airport authorities submitted 245 entries in categories ranging from printed materials such as annual reports and newsletters, to broadcast advertising and social media campaigns, to public relations and community outreach initiatives. Each of the 20 categories was judged by communications and marketing professionals from the U.S. and Canada.

Other CAC members recognized during the event include:

Brochures
3rd Place: Edmonton International Airport

Community Outreach
3rd Place: Calgary International Airport

Creative Innovations - Promotional Items
1st Place: Gander International Airport
3rd Place: Edmonton International Airport 

Creative Innovations - Technology
3rd Place: A�roports de Montr�al

Marketing Campaigns
3rd Place: Edmonton International Airport

Newsletters
1st Place: Halifax Stanfield International Airport
2nd Place: Gander International Airport

Print Advertising
2nd Place: A�roports de Montr�al

Radio Advertising
3rd Place: Gander International Airport

Social Media Campaigns
3rd Place: Edmonton International Airport

Congratulations to all of the winners!
Prince George Airport Launches Service to Calgary
From left to right: Central Mountain Air (CMA) YXS Base Manager Dixie Marchuk, CMA Customer Service Agent Kayla Peterson, Prince George Airport Authority President and CEO John Gibson, CMA Customer Service Agent Kelsi Desjarlais and CMA Customer Service Agent Kyle Soloman. Photo credit: Prince George Airport Authority.
On June 3rd, Central Mountain Air began scheduled passenger air service between Terrace/Kitimat, Prince George and Calgary five days a week, providing local and surrounding area residents with a direct link to Calgary.

Due to the overwhelming response from the region, CMA announced they will be flying this route six days a week.

"Calgary has been the number one requested route out of YXS. We look forward to working with CMA, in partnership with Hawkair, and the Terrace-Kitimat Airport on making this program a huge success," said Prince George Airport Authority President John Gibson.

"We are pleased to build on our non-stop service offered from Calgary International Airport with this new connection to Terrace/Kitimat and Prince George, B.C. This new service builds on our reputation as Western Canada's preferred hub airport, finally opening the link between our great cities," said vice president and chief commercial officer of the Calgary International Airport Authority Stephan Poirier.

"It opens up an important market for Prince George at both ends of this route," said Tourism Prince George CEO Aidan Kelly. "There are a lot of connecting flight possibilities at each stop along the way, so this is not just about the ability to get quickly from Prince George to Terrace or to Calgary, it is all the other locations serviced from each of those airports."
Ground Control Caf� Opens Up
Shop at YQQ
Jackie Blocka and Andrea Wagemaker at the opening of Ground Control Caf�. Photo credit: Comox Valley Airport Authority.
The Comox Valley Airport announced the opening of Ground Control Caf�, a new summer kiosk service by On the Fly Caf� at YQQ. The kiosk will offer fresh brewed coffee, tea, juice, fresh fruit, sandwiches and baked goods for departing passengers in the YQQ hold room daily from
1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. throughout the summer months.

"Recent customer surveys told us that passengers were seeking additional food and beverage services in the boarding lounge at YQQ," said Comox Vallery Airport CEO Fred Bigelow. "We worked cooperatively with On the Fly Caf� to answer that request and we're hopeful this will add to the overall positive experience that 94 per cent of passengers reported having at our airport."

Beginning on June 29th, service will also be provided
to passengers travelling onboard WestJet's early morning flight to Calgary, which departs daily at 6 a.m. throughout the summer.

"We've previously had great success with offering early
morning coffee services to passengers in the boarding
lounge and it made sense to look at expanding that
service for those passengers travelling closer to the
lunch hour," explained Jackie Blocka, co-owner of On the
Fly Caf�. "We're hopeful that our new kiosk service aptly
named 'Ground Control' will perform well and allow us to explore offering additional services in the boarding
lounge outside of the summer months."
Halifax Airport Hosts One of the World's Big Cargo Jets

On June 6th, local plane spotters at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport had the opportunity to check out one of the world's biggest cargo jets in action.

A Boeing 747-400 cargo plane arrived at about 5:30 a.m. local time and departed a couple of hours later. The Atlas Air cargo jet's appearance is likely going to be the first of many from this type of aircraft since the airport lengthened its main runway last year.


The $28-million project added 518 metres to the runway for a new total of 3,200 metres, which will allow jumbo cargo jets to take on a maximum load before departure.

"Plane spotters gather regularly to observe arriving and departing aircraft. Since the Atlas Air cargo jet was one of the largest aircrafts to land at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, many of the plane spotters took immediate note of its presence," said YHZ corporate communications team member Ashley Gallant. 

The airport is currently searching for an air cargo service that uses jumbo jets to make regular calls at Halifax now that the runway is longer.
Fort McMurray to Denver Direct Takes Off
Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Mike Allen and Associate Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Theresa Woo-Paw are met by two RCMP members upon arrival in Denver for the inaugural flight on Friday, June 7th. Source and photo credit: Amanda Richardson, Sun Media.
In the May issue of CAC's The Airport Voice, there was a short article about Fort McMurray's airport offering new, non-stop direct flight service to Denver through United Airlines.

On June 6th, the inaugural flight to the Mile High City included some of Alberta and Fort McMurray's highest ranking officials. This new service goes beyond Denver, providing access to hundreds of other locations faster and more efficient through the Denver International Airport.

"Denver is the thirteenth largest hub in the world. It has 53 million passengers per year and when you get off at the airport at 9 o'clock in the morning, having left here at 6 o'clock in the morning, you'll be able to go to over 160 destinations with a very seamless transition through customs," said Fort McMurray President and CEO Scott Clements.

"Colorado and Alberta have long been closely tied, through our respective economy, landscape and ways of life," said Theresa Woo-Paw, Associate Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.

"Canada is Colorado's largest trading partner, by far; greater than Mexico and Japan combined," said Consulate General of Canada in Denver, Marcy Grossman. "Last year, our trade relationship was valued at $6.4 billion and supported nearly 100,000 jobs in Colorado alone. What is unique about our trading relationship is that it's a actually a north-south relationship. So, in fact, Alberta captures 77% of Colorado's Canadian exports."
Global Passenger Traffic Grows by
1.8% in April
Airports Council International - World reports that passenger traffic at airports increased modestly by 1.8% in April 2013. Airports also reported moderate increases of 2.4% in international passenger traffic and 1.3% in domestic passenger traffic compared to April 2012.

Regional disparities persist with markets like the Middle East posting significant year-over-year gains at 10.2% in passenger traffic, while North America and Europe remain almost flat at -0.3% and 0.4% respectively.

Many major European airports are feeling the brunt of the economic slowdown. Madrid (MAD), Paris (CDG), Frankfurt (FRA) and London (LHR) all experienced declines in traffic during the month of April. However, other airports such as Dubai (DXB), Istanbul (IST) and Kuala Lumpur (KUL) continue to experience double digit gains.

Total freight traffic worldwide increased by 1% in April 2013. Growth continues to be mixed across airports since approximately 50 percent of the world's top twenty air freight hubs registered declines in air freight volume for the month of April.

Looking at the volume of traffic over a twelve month horizon, from May 2012 to April 2013, there is negligible growth in air freight at a 0.4%. Nevertheless, Hong Kong (HKG) and Memphis (MEM), two of the world's busiest air freight airports, posted relatively strong gains amidst the economic uncertainty in April at 4.5% and 4.3% respectively.

ACI-World's monthly reports can be viewed here.
New Private Terminal in the Works at Edmonton International Airport
YEG Shell Aerocentre Inc., the company behind the Edmonton Shell Aerocentre, is building another private terminal at the Edmonton International Airport. The company hopes to have the facility operational by late fall or early winter 2013.

Construction began earlier this month on Aerocentre 2, a facility with 42,000 square feet of hangar space and 25,000 square feet available for passenger lounges, offices and shops.

The lounge space will include a 20 passenger VIP lounge for clients and pilots with their own aircraft, a 150 seat area for air charter travellers, and a 400 seat secured passenger lounge for larger groups heading to northern Alberta and Canada on chartered air flights for industrial clients.

"We are really grateful to YEG Aerocentre for building what will be a great facility," said Myron Keehn, vice president of commercial development for EIA. "Private and charter aviation growth has surged at EIA, and we need this new capacity to meet the industry needs."

The new terminal, located north of the airport's main terminal, will also offer fresh food options for crew, passengers and employees who work in the area.

The airport's Taxiway Romeo will be extended this summer to link into Areocentre 2's new apron, which will be able to handle aircraft as large as Boeing 737s.

The first Edmonton Shell Aerocentre, built in 1976, was the first general aviation hangar and passenger facility at the airport.
Toronto-Pearson Prepares to Welcome the World for 2015 Pan-Am Games
Toronto Pearson International Airport announced on June 3rd that it will be an official partner and supplier of airport services for the 2015 Pan-Am and Parapan-Am Games. More than 7,500 athletes will take part in both events.

The airport will have ambassadors on site in the summer of 2015 to welcome the tens of thousands of athletes and visitors from 41 Pan-American countries coming to Mississauga and other parts of the Greater Toronto Area for the Games.

"We're delighted to join the Pan-Am team as the official welcome partner of the Games," said GTAA Vice President of Guest Services Pamela Griffith-Jones. "Toronto Pearson is looking forward to supporting athletes and guests alike and welcoming them to the GTA for this great event."

"There is no doubt that Mississauga, home to Toronto Pearson, the country's biggest airport, has a key role in welcoming the athletes, coaches and their families to this competition. The GTAA is a valued partner and great corporate citizen," said Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion.
Former Windsor Airport CEO Lands with Premier Aviation
Former president and CEO of the Windsor International Airport, Federica Nazzani, has been named vice president of business development with Premier Aviation, a maintenance, repair and overhaul services company.

"I feel extremely privileged for the opportunity to join a dynamic and experienced team," said Ms. Nazzani in an official release.

Ms. Nazzani will be based in Windsor, but will work for all three of Premier Aviation's locations (Trois-Rivi�res, Quebec, Rome, New York, and Windsor, Ontario).

"Ms. Nazzani brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic and corporate development, finance and government relations," said Premier Aviation's president Ronnie Di Bartolo in an official release. "Over the past 20 years, Ms. Nazzani has established a proven track record for continuous improvement and financial growth."

"She will bring her demonstrated passion and managerial skills to build on Premier's success and strengthen its competitive and financial position in the marketplace," continued Mr. Di Bartolo.
Industry News Quick Links
CAC Letter to the Editor: Airports Bear Costs - Winnipeg Free Press (June 11, 2013)

Canadian tourism suffering without promotion - CBC News
(June 28, 2013)

Air Canada's Rouge to fly to 23 holiday destinations by end of 2014 - CTV News (June 25, 2013)

Marketing, access problematic - Regina Leader-Post (June 12, 2013)

 

Airline would like slots at Toronto island airport, WestJet CEO says - The Vancouver Sun (June 6, 2013)

Stats Can releases 2012 aircraft movement numbers -
Canadian Skies (June 6, 2013)


WestJet takes keys to new Encore planes -
Edmonton Journal (June 6, 2013)


Feds make unprecedented investments in infrastructure (pay wall) - The Hill Times (June 3, 2013)

Canada's aging arctic airports reducing service to northerners: pilots - CTV News (June 2, 2013)
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In This Issue
Vancouver Airport Authority Introduces New President and CEO
ACI-NA Recognizes Winners of 2013 Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Contest
Prince George Airport Launches Service to Calgary
Ground Control Café Opens up Shop at YQQ
Halifax Airport Hosts One of the World's Big Cargo Jets
Fort McMurray to Denver Direct Takes Off
Global Passenger Traffic Grows by 1.8% in Apriil
New Private Terminal in the Works at Edmonton International Airport
Toronto-Pearson Prepares to Welcome the World for 2015 Pan-Am Games
Former Windsor Airport CEO Joins Premier Aviation
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