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Kelowna International Airport Extends Lease to 2054
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Airport Director
Sam Samaddar of
Kelowna International Airport
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On July 29, the federal government announced it had reached an agreement with the City of Kelowna to extend the term of the municipality's lease to manage, operate and develop Kelowna International Airport. This 20-year extension to 2054 provides additional certainty not only for the airport's own investment and development projects but also for current tenants and prospective business partners looking to conduct long-term operations at the airport.
"Getting this lease extension will allow us to continue investing in the airport's future and attract other businesses that want to locate at the airport, as we can offer them reasonable terms to amortize their assets," said Sam Samaddar, airport director of the Kelowna International Airport.
The negotiation for the airport's lease took five years to complete and is unique among Canadian airports. Kelowna is the only National Airports System (NAS) airport out of 26 nationwide that does not pay a percentage of general revenues as rent--the result of a negotiated agreement that will see the airport authority continue to pay the federal government $1 per year for the entire life of the lease.
"The difference with our airport is in the way it was constituted by plebiscite at the municipal level back in the 1950s. Other NAS airports were either military airports or run by Transport Canada at the time," said Mr. Samaddar. "Kelowna Airport also never signed on to the National Airports Policy when it came into effect in the 1990s because a long-term lease with the City of Kelowna was already in place."
Historically, Kelowna International Airport says it has maintained a low-cost fee structure as a direct result of its lease agreement. This, it says, has kept costs low for all stakeholders, which in turn translates into lower fares for air travellers.
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More Passengers Passing Through Canada's Airports
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Canada's airports continue to see significant growth in the domestic, transborder and international passenger segments. For Canada's ten busiest airports, demand over the first half of 2015 rose 4.1% year-to-date-down slightly from the 6.1% year-to-date growth experienced through the same time period in 2014.
The year-to-date result is stronger than 2012 and 2013, which saw increases of 3.7% and 2.7%, respectively. Among the eight busiest airports in Canada, Winnipeg (5.6%) and Toronto Pearson (5.1%) achieved higher than 5% growth for all segments in the first half of the year. For transborder flights, four of these eight airports are reporting growth led by Vancouver (10.2%), Toronto Pearson (6.5%) and Ottawa (5.0%), while international traffic is up at six of the eight airports with Toronto Pearson leading the way at 9.5% and Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau at 6.5%.
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Inaugural Canadian Airports Security Week Touches Down at Two Dozen Airports
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As part of the first-ever Canadian Airports Safety Week (CASW), two dozen of Canada's airports joined forces August 24 to 30 to strengthen awareness of healthy and safe work practices among airport employees. CASW was championed by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and developed in collaboration with 24 participating airports to reach thousands of airport employees through themed displays, discussions and events.
Over the course of the week, participating airport authorities
emphasized various safety themes ranging from hazard reporting, worker safety, security, airside vehicle operations, foreign object debris (FOD), construction safety and security, and environmental concerns.
Next year, the industry hopes to see CASW expanded to even more airports.
CASW is the first program of its kind in the Canadian aviation industry.
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Ports Toronto Completes Tunnel to
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
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On July 30, the Ports Toronto officially opened its new pedestrian tunnel linking Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with the mainland at the foot of Bathurst Street in downtown Toronto. The tunnel will provide the 2.4 million passengers who travel through Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport each year with a more convenient and predictable point of access to the airport along a horizontal segment of tunnel located 100-feet underground and running 550 feet end-to-end.
All told, the walk from the mainland pavilion to the island atrium extends 853 feet, takes approximately six minutes to walk, and can accommodate up to 1,100 persons an hour. The tunnel was constructed and financed at a cost of $82.5 million using a public-private-partnership model that requires no use of taxpayer funds.
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Electronic Travel Authorization Online Application Process Up and Running
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The Government of Canada's new Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) initiative began accepting online applications on August 1. Starting next March, eTA will be mandatory for all visa-exempt nationals (with the exception of U.S. citizens) seeking to board a flight bound for Canada. For travellers seeking to enter Canada by land and seaports, entry requirements have not changed.
The online application portal and reference guides can be accessed at Citizenship and Immigration Canada's
website
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Icelandair to Service Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in 2016
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Beginning May 19, 2016, Icelandair will be expanding its global network with new seasonal service to Montreal. Iceland's flag carrier will be providing non-stop five-hour flights to Icelandair's hub Keflavik International Airport four times a week through November 8, 2016.
The new service to Montreal follows the arrival of service to Halifax in 1998 and the signing of a 2007 agreement between Canada and Iceland that saw the expansion of the Icelandair network to Toronto in 2008, and Edmonton and Vancouver in 2014. Keflavik provides onward connections to more than 20 destinations in Europe, including Paris, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.
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CAC and Nav Canada Launch
Airspace Change Communications and Consultation Protocol
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Airspace Change Communications and Consultation Protocol
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On June 17, the Canadian Airports Council and Nav Canada issued the
Airspace Change Communications and Consultation Protocol, which provides for coordination and management of noise concerns from the community while outlining a strong commitment by Canada's air sector to improve consultation with communities affected when flight path changes are proposed around major airports. The protocol was developed by the CAC and NAV Canada, with the participation of Canada's air carriers, following a request from the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport.
The protocol also outlines the roles of various organizations involved with the aircraft noise issue, what type of airspace changes would be subject to consultation and how that consultation will be undertaken. The protocol applies to proposed changes at airports with more than 60,000 annual Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) movements annually and can be viewed at
cacairports.ca
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Cargo Warehouse Construction Underway at Prince George Airport
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Construction is underway at Prince George Airport on a new 25,000 square foot cargo warehouse worth $5.5 million. Airport Authority CEO John Gibson stated in a release that "with the extended runway, fuel storage facility and now this cargo warehouse, all the key items will be in place for attracting cargo carriers."
The new cargo warehouse is being built to house single- or multi-tenants and will feature 11 truck dock doors, three ground-level doors and one ramp-accessible door. The facility is to be completed by November 2015.
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Transport Canada Launches
Laser Strike Awareness Campaign
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Not a Bright Idea infographic, phase one of Transport Canada's laser strike awareness campaign
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Transport Canada recently launched its nationwide
Not a Bright Idea laser strike awareness campaign.Transport Canada is working closely with police, other government departments and the aviation industry to protect pilots, passengers, and people on the ground by seeking to reduce the incidence of laser strikes targeting aircraft near Canada's airports.
On June 24, the first phase of the Not a Bright Idea campaign was unveiled at Vancouver International Airport in collaboration with the RCMP and Nav Canada. The first phase included an infographic clarifying the dangers and consequences of pointing lasers into airspace and how incidents can be reported to police. The second phase of the campaign includes digital advertising, awareness videos and a direct mail initiative near three major airports.
The number of lasers pointed at aircraft is rising in Canada. There were 502 reported incidents last year alone - a 43% increase since 2012.
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Nav Canada to Build New Tower at Region of Waterloo International Airport
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Left to right: Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt, Canadian Airports Council president
Daniel Gooch, Region of Waterloo International Airport general manager Chris Wood. |
Nav Canada has announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art air traffic control tower at Region of Waterloo International Airport. The new four-storey tower will replace the existing structure built in 1969 and will measure 19.4 metres high--almost five metres taller than the current structure. The new tower has been being designed to handle existing traffic as well as the airport's future needs.
Expected to be completed by summer 2017, the tower will also contain an elevator, a conference room, a training classroom, a fitness room and a quiet lounge.
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The Canadian Airports Council (CAC), a division of Airports Council International-North America, is the voice for Canada's airports. Our 48 members represent more than 100 Canadian airports, including all of the National Airports System (NAS) airports and most passenger service airports in every province and territory.
For more information:
Gregory Kampf
Senior Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
gregory.kampf@cacairports.ca
613-560-9302 x15
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