Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by YWG-RO

Doubt this will go through, even if approved.

Post COVID-19, I think any commercial / residential project is at best on hold for a couple of years, at worst, completely scrapped.

The economic ramifications will be overwhelming. Governments are already looking at 20-30% austerity measures. There’s no money out there.

I actually think quite opposite.

This will have a long-lasting affect on the already struggling retail sector, meaning not only will CF/Shindico be more anxious to convert this property to mixed use – but a lot of land owners in the Polo area will likely be thinking the same thing. The whole Polo retail area is already overbuilt (numerous vacancies) and there's the huge swath of former stadium site, and the properties along the new stretch of St. Matthews that are essentially untouched. And physical retail is only going to shrink more (if not in quantity of stores, definitely in store size).

So not only will the developers in the area want/need this, but the city could be left with no choice and the area become stagnant or regress without more mixed-use development.

[esquire]

^ You might be right. Unlike with downtown, there is no political urgency to Polo Park. No one really gives a crap if Polo Park sinks or swims so governments won't inject a dime into the area beyond the most basic infrastructure improvements. So the developers know they're on their own. And if they want to keep the area relevant, they will need to invest in it with things like CF's development proposal.

So in the short term perhaps the current situation will delay CF's plans, but it's definitely possible to see it going ahead over the longer term.

[pspeid]

IMO any delay in Polo Park residential development needs to be used to review and update the regulations around construction in the area. WAA has already publicly endorsed an update of the document, so I don't foresee any push-back from them. If CF's development plans are all their PR people like to claim they will still be viable a year from now.

[BuildUpWpg]

Originally Posted by esquire

WAA's latest blogpost says that traffic in the last week of March was down to an average of 265 passengers a day, compared to a normal average of 12,300 a day.

That's not too bad...I had thought that hardly anyone is travelling and the planes were basically flying empty??

With the province talking about expanding COVID testing, I think EVERY SINGLE person (including crew) should be tested as soon as they get off the plane and enter the terminal.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by BuildUpWpg

That's not too bad...I had thought that hardly anyone is travelling and the planes were basically flying empty??

With the province talking about expanding COVID testing, I think EVERY SINGLE person (including crew) should be tested as soon as they get off the plane and enter the terminal.

265 a day is next to nothing...that's an average of 10-20 people a flight depending on how many flights take off on a given day. I've personally heard from someone who flew to Calgary on a plane with under 10 people on board.

In normal times, 265 pax is like 2 flights.

[EspionNoir]

Yup, imo it’s hard to imagine that a big construction project is rejected without good reasons, considering how much it contributes to the economy and employment. It should be one of the biggest factors in a GDP function

[esquire]

Business is not picking up at YWG... I checked the departures list today, there are 10 flights leaving today. 4 of those are for small regional destinations in MB/NU/NWO.

These numbers are just unfathomably small.

Although interestingly, there was an AC 777 visiting yesterday to drop off PPE.

[esquire]

6 flights leaving today. I honestly wonder how far back you'd have to go for numbers like that... September 12, 2001? If not then, then maybe during WWII? Or even earlier?

EDIT: In Monday's Free Press, Melissa Martin noted in her column that there were 72 passengers expected to depart on Saturday, when I originally wrote this post.

[esquire]

Interesting blurb in the Free Press about the Aviation Museum... apparently they're getting set to build?

Construction to begin on new aviation museum

05/1/2020 9:59 AM

Construction is soon set to begin on a new Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. The museum took possession of land near the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport today, according to a news release from the museum.
It was previously located on Ferry Road but stopped operating in 2018. The new location is expected to open next year. The construction is slated to start over the next few weeks. The new location is being built with federal and provincial funds, as well as private-sector contributors.

[Boreal]

If so, that is interesting and positive.

Lots of cultural attractions going up recently really adds to the collection of things to see when one comes to Winnipeg.

Not that it needs to be repeated but:
- WAG expansion
- Leaf Conservatory ++
- Aviation Museum

That seems like a pretty big win for our town.

...I'm interested in seeing how the Manitoba Museum will proceed. I like it, but that science centre in the basement is not awesome, to be kind.

[Wpg_Guy]

Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
Location: Winnipeg Airports Authority campus on Wellington Avenue
Developer: Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
Architect(s): Architecture 49
Budget $45 million
Size 86,000 sf
Status: Proposed
Renderings & Construction pics: https://forum.skyscraperpage.com/sho...&postcount=101
Media: Ottawa set to announce $8.8 million for the Royal Aviation Museum
• Video Link

Construction has begun!!👷♀️The fencing is up on site and crews have begun work! We are very pleased to share that construction of our new home is commencing on the campus of the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, at 2088 Wellington Avenue. Having finalized a long-term (56 year) lease deal with the Winnipeg Airports Authority in 2019, the Museum is officially taking possession of the land today. Earlier this week construction partner PCL began preparing the site for construction of the new 86,000 square foot building (the size of a CFL football field) with cranes being moved on site in the weeks to come.

The RAMWC team was planning a Groundbreaking Ceremony, but of course, with the COVID-19 health crisis this type of celebration is not possible. The Museum looks forward to a day when it is safe to meet as an aviation community to celebrate this important milestone. Undertaking construction during a global health crisis requires precautions and extra planning to ensure the safety of workers and the community. 😷
Under the leadership of Co-Chairs Ross Robinson and Blain King, and Honorary Co-Chairs Hartley Richardson and Arthur Mauro, the $45 million capital campaign to raise the funds for the new Museum has reached $37.5 million, or 83% of its goal. This project would not be possible without the generosity of many funding partners including $10 million from the Government of Canada, and $10 million from the Province of Manitoba as well as $17.5 million from the private sector. The Museum is actively seeking supporters to help take the Museum over the top, raising $7.5 million before it opens in late 2021.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Boreal

If so, that is interesting and positive.

Lots of cultural attractions going up recently really adds to the collection of things to see when one comes to Winnipeg.

Not that it needs to be repeated but:
- WAG expansion
- Leaf Conservatory ++
- Aviation Museum

That seems like a pretty big win for our town.

...I'm interested in seeing how the Manitoba Museum will proceed. I like it, but that science centre in the basement is not awesome, to be kind.

Great news about the Aviation Museum! I agree the list of attractions for Winnipeg is becoming quite impressive. WAY back when I was a teen about all Winnipeg had to offer tourists (and locals) were the Manitoba Museum, visits to the zoo and rides on the riverboats. I would guess Folklorama existed back then as well, but otherwise, not much was offered.

When I ponder tourism offerings I like to think about what we may have that isn't offered too many other places. Pretty much any sizeable centre has it's own version of a local museum and/or science centre, a local art gallery, some parks, etc. as well as a number of nice local restaurants, bars etc.

Not everyone, however, can offer a museum like the CMHR , the Mint, the WAG Inuit Art centre, the Leaf Conservatory/Zoo/Assiniboine Park, an Aviation museum, Fort Whyte, as well as other very good local attractions like The Forks and the Manitoba Museum. Add lots of decent shopping, interesting day trips out of town, festivals (when not cancelled by Covid-19 of course) and Winnipeg actually has a lot to offer. I honestly feel that visitors, especially families with Children, could find enough to do for at least a week. If this doesn't sound that remarkable, I have visited much larger cities where one could cover most of the interesting local attractions in about three days, not counting natural attractions like beaches/oceans/mountains.

[esquire]

8 flights departing today... half are regional, the others are two to Toronto, two to Calgary. As far as I can tell service is still declining... I wonder when it will bottom out? I would think one flight a day to Toronto plus a few regional flights (say 4 departures a day in total) must be the absolute bare minimum level of service?

[esquire]

Only 7 flights out today, and only one of those is an Air Canada flight (to Vancouver). Never thought I'd see the day where there wouldn't be daily AC service to Toronto.

[Winnipegger]

Global tourism is going to be at near-zero rates until an effective treatment or vaccine is developed and distributed. If the global macroeconomic slowdown isn't too prolonged, I could see a surge in demand once the pandemic is fully over as those with savings (or bad spending habits) are itching to go on holidays they planned on doing much earlier but had to cancel, or simply want to do something exciting after a long period of quarantine.

Non-essential business travel will also likely only resume once a treatment/vaccine is distributed. Hard to tell if the pandemic will have a lasting effect on this one since people have to make it work somehow now, and once restrictions are lifted if businesses have learned they can conduct business just fine without travel, they might look to reduce expenditures by using methods they learned now instead of travel.

Cargo will always be a thing since we all need stuff, so that should return to normal levels rather quickly - I'm not even sure if it's been impacted?

At the end of the day, all airports across the world have likely been affected. Not just Winnipeg's. But airports and airlines should prepare for different scenarios, depending on how people and businesses adjust to life post-pandemic.

[Authentic_City]

I got an email from a conference organizer in Hawaii today. They are still trying to plan a big event in January 2021. Seems like some serious wishful thinking. It is highly doubtful that international air travel will be running anything like normal 8 months from now. There is no way a vaccine will be rolled out by that point. I mean even if the airlines started flying internationally again by that time, who will have an appetite for air travel? The travel and tourism industry will be in really bad shape for a long time to come.

[esquire]

I expect air travel to bounce back, maybe not to pre-covid levels but I can see traffic increasing this summer and into fall. I am personally chomping at the bit to travel again for leisure once the two week post-travel lockdown rules come to an end, but even then I realize that I may be confined to domestic travel for the next year or longer. I certainly have no intentions of going to the US anytime this year.

If anything is going to go under I suspect it will be the cruise ship industry. And not that I wish ill on anyone who works for cruise lines, but this may be for the better. The massive social and environmental impact of having thousands of people ferried around, not to mention the fact that they were always filthy dens of sickness was enough to make me wonder about it even before covid, but there is no way they can continue to exist until there's a vaccine. It may be best to just put them out of their misery now.

[Authentic_City]

Yes, true enough about the cruise industry. But people sure like their cruises. I thought the bad rap from several Norwalk Virus outbreaks would be enough to turn people off, but cruises seem as popular as ever. I would not bet on this being the end of the cruise industry.
I think the wild card for air travel will be a possible resurgence of the virus in the Fall - before an effective treatment or vaccine is developed. Things may improve over the summer months and domestic air travel may pick up, but who knows when non essential international travel will resume again. Worse yet, if things go south again in the Fall and public heath authorities re-impose restrictions, air travel will be hit hard again. I can't see doing any international travel myself until a vaccine is fully rolled out.

[Randall Stevens]

Anybody know what’s up with the A340 that’s been doing YWG - MAD a couple of times this week?

[plrh]

Originally Posted by Randall Stevens

Anybody know what’s up with the A340 that’s been doing YWG - MAD a couple of times this week?

I rode my bike down the south side of the airport and saw the four-engine plane. That was the first time I had ever seen one. And I mean anywhere. I almost thought it was a 707 at first. It's from a passenger charter service, Plus Ultra. When I saw it, it was parked in the cargo area with the cargo door open.

Here is it's schedule from this week.

17 May 2020 Winnipeg (YWG) — (PUE64P) — — 3:59 PM —
Scheduled
17 May 2020 Madrid (MAD) Winnipeg (YWG) PU63 9:18 — 10:44 AM —
Landed 1:02 PM
16 May 2020 Tianjin (TSN) Madrid (MAD) PU63 13:31 — 11:41 PM —
Landed 7:12 AM
16 May 2020 Madrid (MAD) Tianjin (TSN) (PUE62P) 11:57 — 12:37 AM —
Landed 6:34 PM
15 May 2020 Winnipeg (YWG) Madrid (MAD) (PUE53P) 8:07 — 4:29 AM —
Landed 7:36 PM
14 May 2020 Madrid (MAD) Winnipeg (YWG) PU52 9:17 — 9:45 AM —
Landed 12:01 PM
13 May 2020 Tianjin (TSN) Madrid (MAD) PU52 12:55 — 11:46 PM —
Landed 6:40 AM
12 May 2020 Madrid (MAD) Tianjin (TSN) (PUE51P) 12:17 — 6:52 PM —
Landed 1:09 PM
11 May 2020 Seville (SVQ) Madrid (MAD) (PUE901P) 0:40 — 7:42 PM —
Landed 8:22 PM
11 May 2020 Madrid (MAD) Seville (SVQ) (PUE901P) 0:51 — 6:21 PM —
Landed 7:12 PM

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ec-nbu

Is Tianjin significant to the story?

This is the plane in question:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9714678