Airport flights take steep drive
The number of flights in May into and out of Hamilton’s airport dropped sharply, continuing a long term decline that has seen the Mount Hope facility fall to it’s lowest ever ranking among Canadian airports. Total flights in the country as a whole declined slightly in the same month after registering strong growth for most of the previous year.
Transport Canada reports there were 22.4 percent fewer Hamilton flights in May 2008 than in May 2007. That was the second biggest drop among the 42 Canadian airports with air traffic control towers – exceeded only by Oshawa’s 28.2 percent decline.
London scored the biggest gain in May – up 48.3 percent. Waterloo improved a more modest 2.4 percent. Total flights at the 42 airports declined 0.3 percent, only the second drop in the past year that previously saw double digit increases in five months and year over year rises exceeding five percent in four others.
The sharp decline at Mount Hope pushed its ranking down to 33rd busiest airport. Waterloo stood at 19th in May, and London rose to 12th. Hamilton was also lower than Oshawa, Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay, but was busier than the airports in Windsor and Sudbury.
As recently as June of last year, Hamilton ranked 25th, but has been at 30th or lower for nine of the last twelve reported months. A CATCH comparison of Hamilton’s May numbers for the past eight years shows a significant long term decline in both total flights and itinerant ones (see table below). In May of the previous four years (2003-2006) it was 22nd and ranked 17th in May 2002.
Transport Canada divides flights into two categories – local ones that take off and land at the same airport, and itinerant flights that travel to another airport. Declines in Hamilton have been greater in local flights, but itinerant ones are also falling.
In May 2008, there were 3802 itinerant flights – down ten percent from May 2007. The decline over the full twelve months ending in May was 11.7 percent in total flights, and 8.4 percent in itinerant ones.
These numbers, the latest available from Transport Canada, do not reflect the recent decision of Air Canada to end its flights to and from Hamilton’s airport at the end of July.
A private company, Tradeport International, operates the airport on behalf of the city on a 40-year lease. It released its 2007 annual report in mid-June, announcing “another successful year” including its “third consecutive year of growth” in passengers. It reported 2007 revenues of $16.9 million and before tax earnings of $4.3 million.
Drawing on net retained earnings, the company paid over $5 million in dividends to its shareholders. It’s rent payment to the city for 2007 was $162,000. Under the leasing agreement, half of that amount must be used by the city for airport purposes.
TABLE: Flights at Hamilton Airport: May 2001-2008
(including rank among 42 Canadian airports with air traffic control towers)
Month/
Year
Total
Flights
Rank
of 42
Itinerant
Flights
Rank
of 42
May 2008
5,914
33
3,802
29
May 2007
7,623
27
4,231
27
May 2006
7,252
22
4,170
24
May 2005
7,528
22
3,980
25
May 2004
6,739
22
3,987
25
May 2003
8,041
22
4,661
21
May 2002
9,663
17
5,075
22
May 2001
10,287
18
5,134
21
Source: Transport Canada: Aircraft Movement Statistics
http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/Report/tp141e/tp141.htm
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