[Rocket252]

When I was down there I got a kick out of the speed bumps they put on the highway as well as the police checkpoints Tuffyy mentioned. Don't blame you for moving there - it is a great place.

Flight Aware had the Mexicana Flight on one occasion as using an A320 instead of the normal A319 but it could have been a mistake on Flight Aware's part.

[sdimedru]

when do 2008's finals come out?

[TimB09]

when do 2008's finals come out?

After everyone who flew Air Canada finds their luggage...:D

[JBB]

I've been generally happy with YEG's strong development over the past 5-10 years, especially with the addition of far greater transborder services and the passenger numbers which consolidation has brought. There is no vacillation now that YEG is Canada's 'fifth' busiest airport, well ahead of YOW and YWG. Just a few years ago, the spread in passenger numbers between YEG and YOW and YWG was alot smaller. I'm sure the 2008 numbers will further confirm Edmonton's increasing relative importance!

Yet, I am a bit frustrated that some of the smaller airports like YOW and YWG seem a step ahead of us. Aesthetically speaking, I would argue that YOW and YWG (soon to be completed) made better decisions then YEG. That cascade waterfall at YOW is very impressive, as is the Cesar Pelli designed terminal at YWG. Moreover, why is it that YWG has managed to get is contiguous airport hotel built while YEG's modest Courtyard by Marriott is still postponed? Note that Halifax, another smaller airport has just announced plans for the construction of a full Sheraton by its airport. A final, somewhat trivial point, is that both YOW and YWG have second executive lounges (Servisair) while Edmonton is still stuck with only a Maple Leaf Lounge. That seems a bit funny when considering that YEG is Westjet's third busiest port, though I suppose that I can't think of a retail space to locate another lounge... but then that asks the question, why isn't there sufficient retail space in Edmonton?

[sdimedru]

After everyone who flew Air Canada finds their luggage...:D

zing!

[Jasper and one o nin]

well said, jbb

[0773|=\]

Let's hope the expansion addresses many of those shortcomings.

For what it's worth, I've always found 90% of YEG's terminal to be quite attractive (mind you, I wish they tiled over that old floor in the north end of the terminal, pre-security)

[Jasper and one o nin]

on the EIA website, expansion - they have removed the reference to hotel.

[S_B_Russell]

What a shock...

[CanadianCentaur]

Not a surprise (to me, at least) they would've removed all references to the hotel in YEG's website. Either the hotel project's now dead or it's been put on hold indefinitely.

[SpikeyT]

I remember working at the aiport when I was starting university (4 years ago) and they were telling us then we would have to move our cars to a temporary parking lot because of the hotel construction, years went on and they were still telling staff about a possible parking lot change. There are so many hotels very very close to the airport, I don't think it is absolutely necessary.

[JBB]

I concur that an adjacent hotel is not 'absolutely necessary', nor is a second executive lounge. That said, if we are trying to build and promote a world class airport that competes with the best on the continent, then I would argue that it is preferable to at least meet those features available at other comparable airports. Airports in Canada with contiguous hotels:

Toronto (Sheraton)
Vancouver (Fairmont)
Calgary (Delta)
Winnipeg (4 points by Sheraton)
Halifax (Sheraton, u/c)
Montreal (Marriott, u/c)

-In short, only 2 of the 8 largest airports in Canada do not have adjacent hotels and Edmonton is one of them.

I also understand that there are a number of hotels near the airport but it is important to note that the YEG area is noticeably lacking a 3.5/4 star grade property. So, I think there is room for a new flagship airport hotel that fills the business-grade niche.

[Jasper and one o nin]

Calgary's building a second hotel onsite I believe.
yeah, - 6.5 million pax
30 km from the downtown
and no airport hotel
kind of embarassing. (Over the last year, I met two people at the airport from Texas, and both of them said, ('cause I always ask what the thought of our airport) "reminds me of Wichita"
Now I have never been to Wichita, but I have seen Planes Trains and Automobiles and Wichita was the airport that they were diverted to... no hotel rooms... if there is any truth to that movie, we got a lot of work to do!!

[Coldrsx]

^exactly...

while there are m(hotels) in the area, there are not many nicer options without coming into town.

[jeremy_haak]

I concur that an adjacent hotel is not 'absolutely necessary', nor is a second executive lounge. That said, if we are trying to build and promote a world class airport that competes with the best on the continent, then I would argue that it is preferable to at least meet those features available at other comparable airports. Airports in Canada with contiguous hotels:

Toronto (Sheraton)
Vancouver (Fairmont)
Calgary (Delta)
Winnipeg (4 points by Sheraton)
Halifax (Sheraton, u/c)
Montreal (Marriott, u/c)

-In short, only 2 of the 8 largest airports in Canada do not have adjacent hotels and Edmonton is one of them.

I also understand that there are a number of hotels near the airport but it is important to note that the YEG area is noticeably lacking a 3.5/4 star grade property. So, I think there is room for a new flagship airport hotel that fills the business-grade niche.

YOW has also had a hotel built on site (Hilton Garden Inn), though it is not attached to the terminal building like the others are.

[SpikeyT]

Oh I totally agree that they should have a nice hotel if they want to compete with other airports and such. I just meant that at least they are not hurting for hotels.

[Coldrsx]

^actually they are... not in room numbers but in category and service level.

[Jasper and one o nin]

The hotels in proximity are travel lodges at best. one step above a motel

[CMD UW]

Or Holiday Inn Express...still, nothing close to a Hilton Garden Inn or Sheraton 4 Points, Radisson, etc.

[ExcaliburKid]

Consider the two hotels being built right now south of Ellerslie. I think a Hampton and the other brand I cant recall. Theres no good reason those couldnt have been built nearer to the airport.

[CMD UW]

The other two are a Sandman and Sheraton 4 Points....

[ExcaliburKid]

Ha, whoops. Guess I wasnt even close.

[CMD UW]

Ha, whoops. Guess I wasnt even close.
The three are: Sandman, Best Western and Sheraton 4-Points.

[Jasper and one o nin]

The Top Eight of ‘08

EIA poised to lead the country in passenger growth for the third year in a row.

We’ll move you—with a new brand and renewed commitment:

Your international airport renewed its customer-focus commitment in May 2008, when we launched the EIA—we’ll move you brand. It represents the airport community’s re-energized focus on delivering complete and effective customer service. “Whether it’s through new air service options, time-saving technologies, or more parking and restaurant options, our brand promise, we’ll move you, is our commitment to great customer service as we build Edmonton’s future airport,” says Reg Milley, EIA President and CEO.



Expansion 2012: With our new brand came confirmation of a different kind of terminal expansion. Now serving 1 million passengers more than the 5.5 million travellers the current terminal was built to accommodate, Expansion 2012 will double the number of aircraft gates and add some of the most modern air travel infrastructure in the world. By 2012, EIA will deliver one of the most innovative, hassle-free airport experiences anywhere. While we work to build EIA’s airport of the future, we’re equally focused on our customers’ needs right now. EIA continues to offer new speed-enhancing technologies during construction: the online web check-in portal at flyeia.com, hotel web check-in areas, more check-in kiosks at more locations, and our north terminal flow-through check-in desks, which greatly speed up passenger flow.



Expansion 2012 Partners

Project Management
MMM Group


Prime Consultant
Construction Manager

Apron Expansion
EBA Engineering
Dufferin Construction

Terminal Expansion
Stantec Consulting
PCL Construction

Office/Control Tower
Cohos Evamy
EllisDon




Port Alberta: An all-in-one cargo transportation system, Port Alberta is a broad regional springboard that will connect air, road, rail and even sea links to offer a completely integrated value-added shipping system for our region. This year, Western Economic Diversification Canada demonstrated its support by announcing a major development grant to drive the project forward. The Port Alberta partnership with development agencies, municipalities and others is poised to give this region one of the most crucial inland transportation hubs in North America and beyond.



¡Bienvenidos Mexicana!: Canadians love Mexico for the sun and sand, and Mexicana can get you there with their year-round scheduled service to Mexico City, and convenient connections to resort and business destinations throughout Mexico, and Central and South America. Since the route was launched in June, this service has proved popular not just with sun-seekers, but with business travellers, those visiting friends and relatives in Alberta, and cargo shippers as well.



Eating on the fly: Forget the old jokes about airplane food. EIA makes travelling a tasty experience with fresh, healthy new choices for eating out in the terminal. In 2008 alone, we opened a new Mountain Lodge restaurant, two new Starbucks--including one in the US passenger lounge--and a Tim Hortons post-security in the domestic passenger lounge. Next up: a Chili’s, a Wok Box and a new full-service restaurant in our US passenger lounge.



More Parking: EIA has made it easier than ever to park at the airport, with lots of additional choice. In August, 1,000 stalls were opened in the new parkade expansion, followed by 2,700 new surface stalls in the popular new remote lot. This lot was built to handle peak-season demand over the holidays and will be made available on a regular basis later in the year.



US Quick Connect: EIA has quickly evolved into the connecting airport for the significant northern development, now acting as Canada’s economic engine. To ensure Edmonton is serving our connecting passengers, US Quick Connect opened early December, just in time for the holiday rush. Now, if you’re connecting in Edmonton to one of our 10 non-stop US destinations, EIA’s US Quick Connect offers the biggest travel perk of all: easy, convenient connections. Connecting passengers can proceed from their arriving domestic flight straight to US Preclearance, without having to collect, then re-check luggage. It also allows connecting passengers to enjoy the wide range of amenities in the domestic passenger lounge.



More passengers, more routes, more often: Edmonton lead the country in seat capacity growth with 7% (March 08 vs. March 09), bucking the trend of declines across Canada. Another strong indicator is EIA’s incredible 40% US growth compared to the 5% average decline across Canada (excluding Alberta). WestJet alone added 16 new flights to their Edmonton/US schedule. Air Canada, Jazz and Star Alliance partner United Airlines also increased their Edmonton/US service significantly, including 45% more seats than the previous year to their five key US hubs of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Finally, strong international growth helped fuel EIA’s biggest passenger count in the airport’s history: almost 6.5 million travellers journeyed through EIA in 2008. This 6.1 per cent increase over the previous year is especially remarkable compared to capacity cuts at other airports. Early numbers indicate that for the third year in a row EIA lead the country in passenger growth in 2008, and may be the only Tier 1 airport in Canada forecasting passenger growth in 2009.

Edmonton International Airport passenger statistics, 2007—2008:

PASSENGERS
2007
2008
Increase

Domestic
4,936,592
5,106,860
3.4 per cent

US
810,318
943,911
16.5 per cent

International
317,700
386,563
21.7 per cent

TOTAL
6,064,610
6,437,334
6.1 per cent

[Jasper and one o nin]

Edmonton International Airport

Passenger Statistics for December 2008

Highlights

¨ Overall 542,271 passengers (December) and 6,437,334 (YTD)

¨ Domestic 397,989 passengers (December) and 5,106,860 (YTD)

¨ Transborder 94,087 (December) and 943,911 (YTD)

¨ International 51,195 (December) and 386,563(YTD)

¨ Rolling 12 Month 6,437,334


Growth%

¨ Overall 6.8% (December) and 6.1% (YTD)

¨ Domestic 1.4% (December) and 3.4% (YTD)

¨ Transborder 27.4% (December) and 16.5% (YTD)

¨ International 20.6% (December) and 21.7% (YTD)

[240glt]

Great numbers for YEG... transborder & international growth is massive!

Lets see if we can retain top spot in Canada for growth in '09!

[rapid_business]

Did we have bets on passenger stats for this past year?

[Coldrsx]

^i know i bet 6,666,666


Great news for YEG! It is great to see them attacking all aspects of the airport and by 2012 we should be primed for new service.

[CanadianCentaur]

^ And a new hotel - maybe.

[240glt]

Edmonton International Airport tops in passenger growth in Canada

EDMONTON — The Edmonton International Airport led the country in passenger growth for the third year in a row, and it’s one of the few major airports forecasting more growth this year.

Passenger numbers jumped six per cent to a record 6.5 million with domestic routes accounting for five million, up 3.4 per cent.

International was up 21.7 per cent to 386,563, and U.S. rose 16.7 per cent to 944,000.

“This 6.1 per cent increase over the previous year is especially remarkable compared to capacity cuts at other airports,” Edmonton Airports said in a release.

Edmonton also had the highest seat-capacity growth in Canada at seven per cent, bucking the trend of declines in other cities.

Airlines continued to add more cross-border flights, with WestJet alone adding 16 to their U.S. schedule. Air Canada, Jazz and Star Alliance partner United Airlines added 45 per cent more seats to their five key hubs of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The airport has launched a billion-dollar expansion that will double the number of aircraft gates and add other state-of-the-art infrastructure by 2012 to speed up passenger flow and check-in.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Edmonton+International+Airport+tops+passenger+growth+Canada/1181697/story.html

[Coldrsx]

Pump that press release YEG, pump it real good.

[CMD UW]

/\ Yessiiirr....

[alexis]

When I was down there I got a kick out of the speed bumps they put on the highway as well as the police checkpoints Tuffyy mentioned. Don't blame you for moving there - it is a great place.

Flight Aware had the Mexicana Flight on one occasion as using an A320 instead of the normal A319 but it could have been a mistake on Flight Aware's part.

Yes, Flightaware is getting to be wrong more frequently, but hey, it's free, so you can;t really complain

[Coldrsx]

this was really eye opening...

Comparison of the 5 busiest airports by domestic, transborder and international passenger traffic
Rank Airport Location Domestic % of total Transborder % of total International % of total
1 Toronto Pearson International Airport[2] Toronto, Ontario 13,785,757 43.8% 8,882,847 28.2% 8,838,718 28.1%
2 Vancouver International Airport[3] Vancouver, British Columbia 9,016,556 51.5% 4,361,177 24.9% 4,117,316 23.5%
3 Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport[4] Montreal, Quebec 5,109,823 41.2% 3,117,522 25.1% 4,180,589 33.7%
4 Calgary International Airport[5] Calgary, Alberta 8,808,797 72.0% 2,380,738 19.4% 1,051,251 8.6%
5 Edmonton International Airport[6] Edmonton, Alberta 4,937,099 81.4% 809,991 13.4% 318,027 5.2%

[Rocket252]

Is not that a classic Hub - Spoke scenario?

The international numbers for To, Van , and Mtl are expected because they are major international hubs?

[Greco Roman]

It really does suck that all the good flight deals to sun destinations are out of Calgary; Edmonton prices are considerably higher for the most part.

[CMD UW]

Depends on what your looking for and with what carrier.

[Coldrsx]

1996

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/ab/edmonton/1996/edh1996_025.jpg

[240glt]

Wow..DT may not have changed that much in 12 yrs but the airport sure has.

[Coldrsx]

in 95' i took a 747, sat in the nose, from Edm direct to heathrow on AC....

[Rocket252]

Right in the middle of nowhere

[Hawker]

Edmonton International Airport tops in passenger growth in Canada

EDMONTON — The Edmonton International Airport led the country in passenger growth for the third year in a row, and it’s one of the few major airports forecasting more growth this year.

Passenger numbers jumped six per cent to a record 6.5 million with domestic routes accounting for five million, up 3.4 per cent.

International was up 21.7 per cent to 386,563, and U.S. rose 16.7 per cent to 944,000.

“This 6.1 per cent increase over the previous year is especially remarkable compared to capacity cuts at other airports,” Edmonton Airports said in a release.

Edmonton also had the highest seat-capacity growth in Canada at seven per cent, bucking the trend of declines in other cities.

Airlines continued to add more cross-border flights, with WestJet alone adding 16 to their U.S. schedule. Air Canada, Jazz and Star Alliance partner United Airlines added 45 per cent more seats to their five key hubs of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The airport has launched a billion-dollar expansion that will double the number of aircraft gates and add other state-of-the-art infrastructure by 2012 to speed up passenger flow and check-in.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Edmonton+International+Airport+tops+passenger+growth+Canada/1181697/story.html

These are indeed very good numbers, but a bit misleading to say that it is the tops in passenger growth in Canada. Maybe 'highest percentage growth amongst the 10 biggest airports'. Saskatoon, for example, has pax growth of almost 10% last year, according to this report:
http://www.sreda.com/media/user/documents/Reports%20on%20the%20Economy/Quarterly/Saskatoon%20Region%20Economic%20Report%20-%202008Q4.pdf

Speaking of the two cities, why the rather poor direct connections between the two cities? Only two flights a day direct? Is this the work of the Calgary airport mafia? :D

[Rocket252]

The hub system - that is what Air Canada and WestJet will tell you.

[240glt]

By the time you drive to EIA, check in, board, fly, land, get your luggage and get a cab you could have driven to your destination faster.

[Stang]

By the time you drive to EIA, check in, board, fly, land, get your luggage and get a cab you could have driven to your destination faster.

I go from Calgary to Edmonton somewhat frequently (10+ times a year) for work, and I am given the choice of how I get there.

My first choice is to drive, as it is the fastest and I actually like driving. I can go from door to door in under 3 hours. My second choice is Red Arrow, and if I actually had to work downtown (I'm usually on the North side near the city centre airport), it might very well be my first choice. If I need/want to get any work done, the Red Arrow is great as you get the entire duration to work instead of 30 minutes in between take-off and landing. My distant third choice would be flying. It takes the the same amount of time as the bus or even slightly longer (door to door), and is generally not any cheaper.

Now if WestJet was allowed to fly into the City Centre Airport... that would change things. :)

[240glt]

^ Ha. Ain't gonna happen buddy :cool:

I get called to Calgary every once in a while too, mostly for consulting, and I choose to drive as well. Overall it's less hassle and because I'm usually down & back in a day and usually end up in different parts of the city it's just easier for me to have my car.

[MalcolmTucker]

You can close the Muni airport, but keep open a heliport. Could do Osprey in the future, but for now Boeing 234 (civilian refurbished Chinooks), downtown to downtown in an hour 15 minutes. You could probably carry passenger loads in the low 40s, depending on cargo, which would have to be minimal unless you bought external cargo pods, or slung it below.

Now that would be a real 'air bus', could even paint it in Red Arrow colours.

Any such operations would also likely kibosh high speed rail for the time being.

[Stang]

^ Ha. Ain't gonna happen buddy :cool:

My Dad remembers when they used to land 737s there. That would be fun driving along Kingsway with those things coming in! But yeah - those days are long gone.

[IKAN104]

My Dad remembers when they used to land 737s there. That would be fun driving along Kingsway with those things coming in! But yeah - those days are long gone.

Or stepping outside the food court doors of Kingsway mall seconds before one of those beasts comes screaming over. Especially fun because you can't hear it coming (mall blocks the sound) until it's right on top of you. ... Scared the crap out of me.

[JBB]

Great picture Coldrsx! I may only be 27 but I can still feel a bit nostalgic for the old YEG... Those were the days of Canadian Pacific, paper tickets, the only place to eat being that institutional cafeteria and no multi-level parkade.

[Jasper and one o nin]

The cafeteria on the third floor? I remember that. Dont forget the old obervation decks.. Down the corridor on the third floor and then up the stairs. There used to be two obervation decks, but turned them into office, in fact, down the same third floor corridor was the AC lounge. (i remember cause I had free access on my aeroplan card)

[ExcaliburKid]

Favorite part about the old airport as a kid was the video arcade. I played that Simpsons Arcade game non-stop until whoever we were waiting for landed. Good times.

[Jasper and one o nin]

here is a 1991 shot from airliners.net - you can see the two observation decks.

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/5160/earlytu7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/earlytu7.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img177/earlytu7.jpg/1/)

[0773|=\]

Yeah, I remember those observation decks. If we were picking up someone from the airport, that's where we'd sit while we waited. It was a nice view! I also remember when I was a kid, if we were ever driving somewhere northwest of the city, my dad would usually take a detour by Villeneuve airport. He always said he was looking for some hangar space--he has plans for a small kit-plane, but he's never built it. I suppose everyone has their dreams...

[Edmonchuck]

Try actually having a key to go outside and sit on a lawn chair on those decks! Heck, I remember when everyone could go outside and watch those stupid PTV's taking people from the airport to the plane...what were they thinking...

[Edmonchuck]

here is a 1991 shot from airliners.net - you can see the two observation decks.



You can see the lack of cars, the lack of planes, and the lack of overall activity too. Those were dark dark times.

[CMD UW]

They were weren't they....

My how things have changed over there...particularly the last 8 years. It will be interesting to compare this when the terminal expansion is completed in 2012.

[Coldrsx]

there are more taxis now than the number of those cars...

just flew out and back to van, YEG was very pleasant again. Checked out the new pub airside along with timmy hoes now open. Much better.

[TimB09]

there are more taxis now than the number of those cars...

just flew out and back to van, YEG was very pleasant again. Checked out the new pub airside along with timmy hoes now open. Much better.

I look forward to using that airport in March when I go to Tampa. Looking forward to seeing what has been added since last April.

[pallo]

Hello

Could anyone please tell me why there are no direct bus connections between Edmonton and Banff? The only few bus i could find all go through Calgary which makes the journey like 6 hours long

I thought that the distance between edmonton and banff
would have been the same as the distance between calgary and banff, isn't that so?

[jeremy_haak]

Hello

Could anyone please tell me why there are no direct bus connections between Edmonton and Banff? The only few bus i could find all go through Calgary which makes the journey like 6 hours long

I thought that the distance between edmonton and banff
would have been the same as the distance between calgary and banff, isn't that so?

Not even remotely. Apparently the shortest way to Banff is through Calgary (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=edmonton,+ab+to+banff,+ab&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=41.401983,61.435547&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=7) period.

[Coldrsx]

^correct. Buses take a little long, perhaps rent a car? It is 4-4.5 hours that way.

[deedub35]

Apparently the shortest way to Banff is through Calgary period.


I disagree. I head to Canmore all the time as I have a condo there. I always turn off at Airdrie and turn before Cochrane and rejoin hwy 1 at Morley. I can make Canmore easily within 3.5 hours. I've done it in 3.0 hours before with a little tailwind. ;)

For those unfamiliar with the route:
Hwy 2 south to Airdrie
Hwy 567 west / 722 south / 567 west / 22 south to Cochrane
Hwy 1A west to Morley

[240glt]

^ That's my route as well, at least until the Calgary ring road is done.

[deedub35]

^ That's my route as well, at least until the Calgary ring road is done.
I have thought about this as well. I'm not sure it will be faster though because there will be an awful lot of traffic on that road plus there will still be two traffic lights. We all know that ring roads and traffic lights don't mix.

[240glt]

Ew, I didn't realize that there would be lights. I thought the province learned that lesson with the SW AHD.

[0773|=\]

It's just two lights, and they're temporary. This project has 'em because it still has a traditional government-funding delivery (it was initially funded at the same time as SW AHD). Considering that you have 3 lights in Airdrie, plus a few more in Cochrane, and 4-way stops (and turns in front of traffic), I still think Calgary's ring road will be faster and safer, as long as you don't approach it during peak-traffic hours.

[deedub35]

It's just two lights, and they're temporary. This project has 'em because it still has a traditional government-funding delivery (it was initially funded at the same time as SW AHD). Considering that you have 3 lights in Airdrie, plus a few more in Cochrane, and 4-way stops (and turns in front of traffic), I still think Calgary's ring road will be faster and safer, as long as you don't approach it during peak-traffic hours.

The lights on AHD are temporary too! Bottom line is they are there and they contribute to tie ups. Plus this way is longer in distance. Agree to disagree. This question will have to remain answered until the route is open.

[dancinb]

A few details about my trip to SFO this weekend...

Took the 7:30 flight out of YEG on Saturday morning. Not a single empty seat on the plane. I'd never been in the international departures at YEG and was pleasantly surprised how busy it was. I'd always heard from this thread how few food shops there are...I boarded the plane hungry because I didn't want to stand in line for 20 mins! The domestic terminal (visible through the glass wall) was completely empty which seemed a bit strange to me. You'd think AC would have at least 1 flight out before 8am!

Took an early flight back through YVR on Sunday morning. The E190 had a number of empty seats - probably 80% full. The connecting flight to YEG seemed to be oversold with a number of standby's. While we were boarding the plane, we had to let some people who had already boarded back off the plane....they were muttering "Apparently there's no row 32 or 33!"

Air Canada's computer told them they had a bigger plane than the A320 (ver.1) and as such, had ticketed 12 people who I bet were some pissed off when they got back to the gate to likely get put on the next flight(s)!!

Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see, but I can't help but wonder why the fullest flights I'm on are always the ones to/from YEG. Been that way for the last few years and even now in the 'bad' times.

Other general comments:
YVR's international terminal is beautiful
Was surprised to see SF has a trolley bus system
Palm trees and patios are nice in January
Cool to see that SFO has solar panels on its roof

[0773|=\]

I notice every time I'm in YEG's domestic terminal, all the newer gates seem to have hardly any traffic, meanwhile, the old part of the terminal is completely crowded. Seems like a waste of a nice looking terminal.

One other question, what part of the terminal are flights to LHR run out of? Isn't the south end of the terminal strictly trans-border (because of US pre-clearance), or is there pre-clearance for UK as well? I thought I might have seen a flight to LHR outside of that south end of the terminal, or maybe I just have a bad memory...?

[dansk]

LHR flights are run departures through the domestic terminal. The area mentioned above is tranborders.

[Rogie]

I notice every time I'm in YEG's domestic terminal, all the newer gates seem to have hardly any traffic, meanwhile, the old part of the terminal is completely crowded. Seems like a waste of a nice looking terminal.


I've been lurking for a long time, but this is my first post here.

I just flew into YEG from YVR on Saturday, and the South terminal when I arrived around the noon hour was full. Same for my departure on Monday. E190s were full both ways too.

I noticed that vast new parking area at YEG too. Lots of undisturbed snow there, I guess they were planning for some longer-term future.

[Coldrsx]

^that is the "overflow" lot which is primarily used at peak holiday times etc.

[Coldrsx]

interesting article on Reg and 'port alberta'

http://www.edmontonians.com/association.aspx

[CanadianCentaur]

^ I was reading about this last Friday.

But I'd bet the economic downturn might delay things for Port Alberta by several years at least.

[CMD UW]

^that is the "overflow" lot which is primarily used at peak holiday times etc.Yes, but I was unaware that this new 'overflow' parking was going to be outfitted with plug-in and lights. Much better than the shitty longterm parking across the QEII....

[CMD UW]

^ I was reading about this last Friday.

But I'd bet the economic downturn might delay things for Port Alberta by several years at least.Here's where you are wrong. In fact, they are just gearing up. First round of RFP's are out.

Apparently there is another inland 'Port' project in another the Prairie province that is ahead of Port Alberta....this is why they have ignited the fire.

[Jasper and one o nin]

i see port alberta as being a great thing for the economic downturn. if the feds are going to pump money into the economy - this is where it should go. same with the province. but are they that smart?

[Jasper and one o nin]

Apparently there is another inland 'Port' project in another the Prairie province that is ahead of Port Alberta.....
Winnipeg? Edmonton makes the most sence. It would be stupid to invest anywhere else.
If the feds were smart, given the economic situation, they would establish PA as a free trade zone, and quickly

[DAVEinEDMONTON]

Winnipeg? Edmonton makes the most sense. It would be stupid to invest anywhere else.
If the feds were smart, given the economic situation, they would establish PA as a free trade zone, and quickly

Edmonton has been on track with Port Alberta long before any other city began to show serious interest. Port Alberta is a long term plan which will be realized based on supply and demand and I think there are projections that there will be enough container traffic to support a number of prairie inland port operations. Edmonton's strategic location may lend itself to be the first one out of the block but Edmonton's development of Port Alberta will not preclude any other city from offering the same services maybe from different ports or different goods. Edmonton being the first major city on CN's main lines from both Prince Rupert and Vancouver is a huge advantage and cannot be ignored.

[Beazley66]

Here's where you are wrong. In fact, they are just gearing up. First round of RFP's are out.

Apparently there is another inland 'Port' project in another the Prairie province that is ahead of Port Alberta....this is why they have ignited the fire.

Hey CMD

Do these RFP's refer to deffered maintenance plan opportunities? My contacts indicated that there would be a prolonged period of re-prioritization of development goals. Just curious.

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton International Airport won't hike fees like Toronto counterpart


BY DAVID FINLAYSON, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COMFEBRUARY 13, 2009 1:02 PMCOMMENTS (1)


EDMONTON — The Edmonton International Airport has no immediate plans to follow Toronto Pearson International Airport in hiking the airport improvement fee to combat lower passenger numbers.

Pearson said Friday the fee will jump from $20-$25 June 1, and all but the most critical capital projects put on hold following a predicted six-per-cent drop in traffic this year.

EIA spokeswoman Traci Bednard said while traffic has moderated from last year’s country-leading growth, the strong economic fundamentals in Alberta provide some buffer from the economic downturn in east and central Canada.

The international has experienced double-digit passenger growth the last three years.

“Nonetheless, economic uncertainty remains,” Bednard said. “We continue to monitor economic conditions, and like all responsible businesses will make adjustments as required.”

“We are very proud of our extremely tight control over expenses and our regard for costs to both airlines and travellers.

EIA has not raised airline landing fees since 2005, and the AIF has been at $15 since 2002, one of the lowest among Canada’s large airports, Bednard said.

And when they do get to the point when fees have to be raised, it will only be after a long period of holding them flat, she said.

The terminal is already 20 per cent over capacity and the billion-dollar expansion — scheduled for completion in 2012 — needs to continue, Bednard said.

Pearson is also implementing a hiring and management salary freeze, closing some facilities, and launching a landing fee rebate program for carriers that offer new services.

Lloyd McCoomb, CEO of Greater Toronto Airport Authority, said the changes were not made lightly.

“They are the responsible course of action to manage Toronto Pearson today. We must ensure that the organization is well positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities when the economy improves.”

dfinlayson@thejournal.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Business/Edmonton+International+Airport+hike+fees/1287526/story.html

[Coldrsx]

With the likely exception of Montreal (which has yet to report December traffic data), all of Canada’s top 10 airports managed to achieve traffic growth in 2008 compared with 2007. However, only Edmonton managed to report traffic growth in every month of 2008, though both Ottawa and Victoria saw passenger numbers drop during just a single month.

http://www.anna.aero/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cht-canada-2008-ytd.png

http://www.anna.aero/2009/02/13/edmonton-achieves-growth-in-every-month-of-2008/

[tuffyy]

^great news...

Not at all surprised.

[CMD UW]

Hey CMD

Do these RFP's refer to deffered maintenance plan opportunities? My contacts indicated that there would be a prolonged period of re-prioritization of development goals. Just curious.
No, one was related to economics and the other transportation.

[CMD UW]

So, does anyone know why this landed at YEG on Saturday? I saw this Virgin Atlantic A340-600 landing around 5:00pm while driving on Ellerslie Road. I assume medical emergency?

http://www.siguret.net/usa/public/a346viri.jpg

[Jasper and one o nin]

I saw it too. i assume it may have been a medical emergency?

[sdimedru]

I saw it too. i assume it may have been a medical emergency?

Do you mean someone arriving here for emergency medical treatment?

[Coldrsx]

^no, a 'medical emergency' or 'medical diversion' is where there is something occurring on the plane that needs ground attention NOW.

It seems to happen more often than most think.

BTW, nice shot hawaii boy

[Jasper and one o nin]

First decline in a while
Good to see transborder and international strong...

Edmonton International Airport

Passenger Statistics for January 2009

Highlights

¨ Overall 493,541 passengers

¨ Domestic 347,855 passengers

¨ Transborder 85,389

¨ International 60,297

¨ Rolling 12 Month 6,428,709


Growth%

¨ Overall -1.7%

¨ Domestic -7.8%

¨ Transborder 16.1%

¨ International 17.1%

[Coldrsx]

^decent considering...

[Jasper and one o nin]

The transborder is doing fantastic

[mode]

Even Edmonton will not be immune to the economic recession. I cannot believe 2009 will be so strong as were previous years. There is also the chance for distressingly interesting times. The Edmonton airport relies on two carriers for some sixty percent of its traffic. If one of these should - how should I put it - become unable to operate its full schedule for financial reasons, Edmonton traffic will decline regardless of the underlying demand.

On a happier note, I see that today some Transat websites seem to be listing increased southern flights from Edmonton for the slow summer season. There are two a week to Mexico and one to Cuba (this one through Calgary). As I recall they only had one a week last summer. I have not seen details. Last summer they used a Westjet aircraft. Perhaps this summer it will be Canjet.

[Coldrsx]

"become unable to operate its full schedule for financial reasons, Edmonton traffic will decline regardless of the underlying demand."

we are Canada, all our aiports would have major declines.

[Jasper and one o nin]

On a happier note, I see that today some Transat websites seem to be listing increased southern flights from Edmonton for the slow summer season. There are two a week to Mexico and one to Cuba (this one through Calgary). As I recall they only had one a week last summer. I have not seen details. Last summer they used a Westjet aircraft. Perhaps this summer it will be Canjet.
Aeromexico

[lubicon]

I see Delta is going to 1x daily to SLC, or has it always been that way?

[Rocket252]

From the Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - An Alberta business advocacy organization is calling on Edmonton to keep the City Centre Airport open.

The Alberta Enterprise Group sent out a letter to city council members Monday arguing the facility provides a vital link to the north, helps create jobs across the province and offers a central location for business and government flights.

“Taking an asset that’s a competitive advantage for Edmonton, that creates an economic and efficient way for people to come to the city and do business… and shutting it down in the absence of any plan for what to do with that (site) does not make sense,” president Tim Shipton said.

Two reports last year indicated the city could earn almost $500 million over 15 to 20 years by ending aviation on the 217-hectare property and creating a community for 32,000 people with LRT service, commercial and office space, and expansion room for NAIT.

Officials estimate the airport will need about $35 million worth of upgrades by 2017.

Updated information on the impact of shutting the airport and a process for public consultation is due March 4, with council scheduled to make a final decision on the facility’s future in July.



This is an embarrassment to the city.

Let's resolve this issue once and for all.

[RTA]

This debate just keeps getting more full of stupid every time I look at it.

The Alberta Enterprise Group sent out a letter to city council members Monday arguing the facility provides a vital link to the north, helps create jobs across the province and offers a central location for business and government flights.

YEG can be all of these things just as easily.

“Taking an asset that’s a competitive advantage for Edmonton, that creates an economic and efficient way for people to come to the city and do business…"

How is it economic to continue operating an out-of-date facility and continue pouring money into something that can never truly grow? I'm not investment expert, but I'm pretty sure the smarter investments are the ones with growth potential, not the stagnant ones.

"...and shutting it down in the absence of any plan for what to do with that (site) does not make sense,” president Tim Shipton said.

Isn't that what this (http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/planning_development/city-centre-airport-review-public-consultation.aspx) is for?

[hilman]

From the Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - An Alberta business advocacy organization is calling on Edmonton to keep the City Centre Airport open.

The Alberta Enterprise Group sent out a letter to city council members Monday arguing the facility provides a vital link to the north, helps create jobs across the province and offers a central location for business and government flights.

“Taking an asset that’s a competitive advantage for Edmonton, that creates an economic and efficient way for people to come to the city and do business… and shutting it down in the absence of any plan for what to do with that (site) does not make sense,” president Tim Shipton said.

Two reports last year indicated the city could earn almost $500 million over 15 to 20 years by ending aviation on the 217-hectare property and creating a community for 32,000 people with LRT service, commercial and office space, and expansion room for NAIT.

Officials estimate the airport will need about $35 million worth of upgrades by 2017.

Updated information on the impact of shutting the airport and a process for public consultation is due March 4, with council scheduled to make a final decision on the facility’s future in July.



This is an embarrassment to the city.

Let's resolve this issue once and for all.

What is embarrassing is the website for the Alberta Enterprise Group has a photo of Calgary on its top banner lol, what a joke. They don't have ulterior motives and really want what is best for the City of Edmonton :rolleyes:

[Coldrsx]

absolute BS... we voted to shut'er down, so DO THAT