Canadian Airport Thread

[WhipperSnapper]

You are looking at pictures of a looming scandal. The private airport authorities across Canada are all loading themselves down with debt and working on the assumption they would be able to recoup the expense through user fees based on traffic estimates that were unreasonable before oil prices began to spiral out of control.

The GTAA is hoping to recoup some of the costs of its expansion through real estate investment with over 10 million leaseable square feet proposed.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by IntotheWest

^Yes, yes...Dubai's growth plan is to build the largest _____ (Fill in the blank). Business case is simple...build the largest for bragging rights.

I doubt it'll ever top the busiest (right now, Atlanta at 89m, O'Hare at 76m, and LHR at 68m). Beijing is over 50m now (9th busiest), and with the growth in China, I wouldn't be surprised if it grew quicker than most...especially considering the gas prices, routes being scaled back, etc. Dubai has seen huge growth (had about 35m in 2007), and I can see 50-60m.

That airport in Dubai will be new, so the 35 million passengers will probably be transfered to the new airport. The 10-15% growth annually should continue so if you calculate, by 2017 the airport will probably get 100 million and will be the largest.

[Keng]

Here's a few photos of Winnipeg International Airport. James Armstrong Richardson International well under way, along with a new Greyhound bus terminal, and Canada Post facility...

[Coldrsx]

^sexy

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^sexy

It's only an airport

[SpongeG]

thats pretty neat to combine the greyhound and the airport

[AndrewJ3D]

While I agree that Toronto's current expansion is cold, it does have a minimalistic art gallery type of feel to it. Vancouver is my favorite, I could live in that airport, Toronto's would be a great place for a rave or a night club.

taken by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/grapejuicegirl


taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/blindmonk


taken by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/prof_tournesol


taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/gravitymachine


taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/boroughbaby


taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/lomo_iberico


taken by: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2373/2061946488_e2b2c19ada_o.jpg


taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecwc

these all taken a few days before opening by an urbantoronto member














taken by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wyliepoon

[someone123]

Pearson is nice but to be honest I'd rather just go to an average airport and not have to pay ticket prices that must support some of the highest landing fees on the planet.

[newflyer]

Having resently been to Vancouver Intl.... I was reminded how beautiful the new expansion really is.

It is very well laid out and the new food court area is very appealing.

With that said I have also resently seen the Inchon (Seoul) South Korea Airport and Singapore Intl ... AMAZING!! Both are absolutely incredible.

The best airports I have ever seen.

[AndrewJ3D]

Originally Posted by someone123

Pearson is nice but to be honest I'd rather just go to an average airport and not have to pay ticket prices that must support some of the highest landing fees on the planet.

As would many but an average airport near Toronto like Hamilton or Buffalo just doesn't have as many destinations to choose from.

[mr.x]

Ottawa eyes runway extensions
Transport Canada explores new safety measures for major airports

Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, July 14, 2008

OTTAWA -- More than three years after a fiery Air France crash at Toronto airport, Transport Canada is still trying to decide whether to require runway extensions at Toronto, Vancouver and other major airports that do not already have them.

Aircraft going off the end of runways is one of the most frequent accidents involving airliners, with at least 10 such incidents in bad weather worldwide since the Air France crash.

Yet the Transportation Safety Board's final report on the Air France crash watered down how the lack of a runway extension contributed to passenger injuries and damage to the plane, according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service.

Transport Canada is considering requiring 300-metre Runway End Safe Areas as a safety measure, which was a key recommendation of the TSB's report into the Air France crash.

Vancouver doesn't have RESAs because they aren't required by Transport Canada, said Brett Patterson, a spokesman for the Vancouver Airport Authority.

An early version of the TSB's Air France report noted if Runway 24L at Pearson Airport had a safety area at the end of it "the damage to the aircraft and injuries to the passengers would certainly have been reduced."

When the report was published that section was changed to read: "the damage to the aircraft and injuries to the passengers may have been reduced."

The Air France plane travelled about 300 metres off the runway before stopping -- but not before it went through ditches, fences and into a steep ravine and that the injuries and the plane damage "was incurred due to these."

All 309 passengers and crew survived but 33 people were taken to hospital, including 12 who were treated for serious injuries.

In a memorandum dated a little more than a month after the TSB delivered its recommendations on the crash landing, the Standards Branch of Transport Canada noted that "current airport certification standards are under review with the participation of industry experts."

That position hasn't changed from January of this year, when the latest memo was written.

A spokesman said Transport Canada is reviewing studies from ICAO and the U.S. on runway design standards and RESAs "and this review has resulted in a recommendation to amend the Canadian regulations and standards," but the department will consult with the aviation industry before finalizing changes.

Toronto's airport authority, facing a lawsuit over the Air France crash, would not comment.

Montreal recently refurbished its airport and runways and it brought them up to the most recent standards of International Civil Aviation Organization, including adding RESAs.

RESAs don't necessarily have to be paved or cemented runways. For example, Edmonton has fields that would stop a plane. Some U.S airports -- RESAs are required at major airports -- use a material that crushes under the plane's weight and slows momentum. Typically, that material is a wall of concrete puffed so full of air that it has a consistency similar of styrofoam.


© The Vancouver Sun 2008

[harls]

Fantastic pics of Winnipeg's airport expansion, Keng.

Here's a couple of pics I took of the model of Winnipeg's airport back in 2006..

[Keng]

^^^
Thanks, a few more....

[craneSpotter]

Airports act as economic hubs for cities.

The 10 busiest passenger airports for 2008:

Airport/Passengers (click passenger number for stats link)

1. Toronto Pearson - 32,334,831
2. Vancouver International - 17,852,459
3. Montreal Trudeau - 12,813,199
4. Calgary International - 12,506,893
5. Edmonton International - 6,437,334
6. Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International - 4,339,225
7. Halifax Stanfield International - 3,578,931
8. Winnipeg Richardson International - 3,570,033
9. Victoria International - 1,538,417
10. Kelowna International - 1,389,883

any spot changes guessed for 2009? Maybe Calgary International will overtake Montreal Trudeau? Maybe Winnipeg International will overtake Halifax Stanfield?

[Rico Rommheim]

If I remember correctly, Calgary was 3rd last time around no?

[mersar]

I believe YYC overtook YUL for a single month last year, but the later months flipped YYC back to 4th

[eemy]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

If I remember correctly, Calgary was 3rd last time around no?

Apparently ADM had incorrectly calculated their passenger figures. If I recall correctly, non-revenue passengers weren't included in the initial totals (I might be wrong on that though).

[Dirt_Devil]

^^ You're right...that is why YUL was fourth. Then they included non-revenue passengers like every other major airports in canada and were back on the 3rd spot again.

[Coldrsx]

I would be interested to see the % change from 07 for the same airports.

[Rico Rommheim]

Holy crap i just realized Quebec city's not even in the top 10! not even with the 400th anniversary!