Milley: "The new Canada Arrivals Hall is more than double the size of the former arrivals area and features eight inspection counters, which will rise to 14 upon completion of Phase 2 in September." (Photo credit: Merle Prosofsky)
Edmonton International Airport is undergoing a transformation as part of a drive to enhance facilities and the overall level of service on offer to customer airlines and passengers. The project – named Expansion 2012 – entails a number of significant investments. Among those already completed is the expansion of the US departures terminal, revamp of the retail offer in the Central Hall, and the first phase of the brand new Canada Arrivals Hall.
Milley: “One of the keys to a region’s success is having a world-class airport with world-class air service.” (Photo credit: Merle Prosofsky)
At 1,936sqm, the new Canada Arrivals Hall is more than double the size of the former arrivals area and features eight inspection counters, which will rise to 14 upon completion of Phase 2 in September. It also offers a new streamlined baggage offloading facility with two baggage carousels and in-transit preclearance for international passengers connecting to the US. The second phase of the new hall will include a new international passenger lounge with a host of new retail and food & beverage outlets.
Later this year, the new Central Tower, which will house the air traffic control tower as well as new office space for lease, will become operational, while a new 210-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel is also nearing completion.
“One of the keys to a region’s success is having a world-class airport with world-class air service,” said Reg Milley, President & CEO, Edmonton Airports. “This reality made Expansion 2012 a strategic imperative. When we embarked on the project, the terminal was already 1 million passengers over capacity and the existing gates were not sufficient to allow aircraft to move efficiently in and out of the airport, particularly at peak times. With up to 13 additional gates, Expansion 2012 sends a clear signal to airlines that EIA is open for business.”
Economic impact
The recent passenger figures from Edmonton International Airport make for positive reading as numbers recover to pre-recession levels. In 2011, 6.3 million passengers used the airport and in Q1 2012, EIA’s year-on-year growth of +8.1% bettered that of any other Canadian airport.
Milley said: “EIA’s purpose is to be an economic engine for the region. Our role is to keep in step with its growth to facilitate the achievement of its aspirations.” These aspirations are derived from the growing popularity of the Alberta region as a trade and tourism destination. 2 million tourists visited Alberta in 2011 and by 2015, 1 million passengers are expected to use the airport to access the Alberta oil sands – a rich economic source for the wider region.
As Expansion 2012 continues in order to meet the demands of the forecast traffic increase over the course of the next decade, the importance of Edmonton International Airport as a trade and tourism access point and economic driver for the Alberta region will increase in equal measure. Thanks to its positioning on 7,000 acres of land, Expansion 2012 is just the latest stage of the airport’s long-term development plan.
