YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[giallo]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Thanks for the upload.

Methinks I spotted a Vera's

I see it too. Very nice addition.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

In fact, if you have the money this would be a GREAT year to visit Paris, as hotels are slashing their prices due to the record low numbers of American and other tourists

I'm actually in France right now, but I haven't really noticed any special deals. Paris was as expensive (and busy!) as you'd normally expect.

[GeeCee]

Flying out to Seattle on a turboprop on AC on Sunday.. are they using the new pier or who?

[Millennium2002]

Probably not. That requires US preclearance... so probably the international terminal, US section.

- Allan Kuan

[zahav]

Some photos the new Link II building. The following photos are taken by one of my coworkers, who was an installer for this project















The following photos are from Flickr, user yvrconnecs http://www.flickr.com/photos/35264437@N06/

[zahav]

Here's the official YVR press announcement for the grand opening of C-Pier:

http://www.yvr.ca/authority/newsreleases/news_details.asp?id=537
July 9, 2009 - 10:00 AM

YVR CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF EXPANDED DOMESTIC TERMINAL


Facility Features Five New Gates, Expanded Retail Program and Original Artwork

Richmond, B.C. (July 9, 2009): Vancouver Airport Authority today celebrated the official opening of the expanded gate area (C-Pier) in Vancouver International Airport's Domestic terminal. Featuring five additional gates, expanded dining and shopping options and new pieces of original First Nations artwork, C-Pier will connect YVR with destinations across Canada.

The $113-million, 15,000 square-metre expansion is one of several construction projects in the Airport Authority's $1.4-billion capital program that will be completed on time and under budget in 2009. Used primarily by Air Canada, C-Pier's five new and three reconfigured gates can accommodate larger aircraft of the future. More than six million passengers are expected to travel through C-Pier in 2009, making it an important hub for domestic traffic, and a gateway to the 2010 Winter Games for Canadians across the country.

"As our largest expansion to YVR's Domestic terminal in 30 years, the completion of C-Pier marks a significant milestone in our capital program," said Larry Berg, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. "These facilities will help us deliver an exceptional experience to our domestic travellers, while building upon our tradition of delivering a modern airport reflective of British Columbia's culture and character."

C-Pier's art and architecture celebrate the outdoor sporting and recreational lifestyle along the Sea to Sky Highway and the resort town of Whistler. Two new art installations by First Nations artist Steve Smith are displayed in the expansion: Freedom to Move features six large carved red cedar panels; and Sea to Sky is a collection of 12 ceremonial drums hung in the atrium at the western end of the expansion.

Passengers departing from C-Pier will enjoy a Whistler Village-inspired dining and shopping area with eight new stores and six food and beverage establishments. Those who wish to relax and enjoy the new facility can do so in one of the area's 800 comfortable seats, while travellers rushing to their gates are assisted by 185 metres of moving walkways. The Airport Authority's commitment to sustainability continues with C-Pier, which features LED inset taxiway lighting outside the terminal building, and motion-activated moving walkways and a solar-power heated hot water system inside.

"Among other benefits, the C-Pier extension will allow us to consolidate and operate all of our domestic flights from under one roof," said Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada. "Having the operation in C-Pier will make it more convenient for passengers connecting between our Jazz regional flights and our mainline flights. I also commend Vancouver Airport Authority for its practical and fiscally responsible approach to redevelopment and expansion. This has helped keep airport fees reasonable, which is very important in a cost-conscious business such as ours."

Vancouver Airport Authority's subsidiary company YVR Project Management, under the direction of President Ray Zibrik, managed the project. C-Pier was funded through a combination of airport revenue sources, including retail sales, airplane landing fees and the Airport Improvement Fee.

Also available:

B-roll footage; view the video here; email [email protected] for a copy.

High-resolution photographs; view photos here; email [email protected] for high-resolution files.


About Vancouver Airport Authority
The Airport Authority is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that operates Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Canada's second busiest airport, YVR expects to welcome 17.9 million passengers in 2008, and is the Official Airport of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Airport Authority is undertaking a $1.4-billion capital program that will ensure the airport meets the growing demand for air travel and continues to be developed as a premier global gateway and economic generator for British Columbia.


-YVR-

For more information:
YVR Media Relations
Vancouver Airport Authority
604.880.9815
[email protected]
www.yvr.ca

[zahav]

And finally, a youtube video of the opening, a must-see for people interested in the airport development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9XL8w4Yt3g

[zahav]

Sorry, forgot.... here's some more off Flickr, of the C-Pier (also courtesy of yvrconnects http://www.flickr.com/photos/35264437@N06/page2

[SpongeG]

looks good - they showed it on global news today - might repeat at 11 pm....

and wow they have brookstone! love that store and its gadgets

[excel]

nice i get to see this in august. going to new york via toronto.

[punkster1982]

Looks like people's dream of non-stop service to Paris has come true, along with some other destinations ....

Air Canada jet to sport Olympic-sized ads

Stephanie Levitz

VANCOUVER — The Canadian Press Last updated on Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009 03:35PM EDT

It's one of the biggest shows on Earth, so why not have one of the biggest ads to promote the Vancouver 2010 Games.

Olympic sponsor Air Canada (AC.B-T) officially unveiled its Winter Games-themed airplane Wednesday, a Boeing 777-300ER painted in bright Games colours and images.

The design had already been revealed by enthusiastic plane aficionados last week after they spotted the new aircraft at a Boeing field in Seattle and posted pictures on the Internet.

But that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of Air Canada's chief executive officer, Calin Rovinescu.

“Boasting a tail six stories high and engines the circumference of Boeing 737 aircraft, this behemoth promises to redefine outdoor advertising,” he told a news conference in an Air Canada hangar. “And we intend to use it to let the world know about the Games coming to Vancouver.”

The decal on the plane is made of 280 pieces and was first assembled on the ground with the largest pieces measuring about 91 centimetres square.

It was placed on the body of the plane using laser lights to trace the outlines of sports illustrations and bands of blue and green, all official Olympic graphics. They took 60 hours to print.

The airline is one of several major Games sponsors struggling in the current economy and is now waiting on its unions to finish voting on a new contract that includes wage freezes and a moratorium on past service pension payments.

At the same time, the airline is looking for $600-million in new financing.

But Mr. Rovinescu said the company hasn't needed to sacrifice anything to make good on its Olympic sponsorship.

“We're making modifications to the service delivery and the operations delivery, which will serve us well after the Olympics, so we're trying to limit our expenditure to things that will improve the operation on an ongoing business,” he told reporters.

“The same is true on the commercial side – the routes that we're choosing are routes we believe can support good traffic, so we've tried to not identify a massive spend around the Olympic commitment per se, but do things that are part and parcel of the operations.”

Most of Air Canada's contribution to the Olympics is in in-kind services, including transportation of athletes.

On Wednesday, the airline announced a new program that will see athletes and other Canadian Olympic officials get access to the same first-class perks as paying first-class customers.

Air Canada also announced it is introducing non-stop service from Vancouver to Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva and Zurich, in part to meet increased travel demands from those areas during the Olympics.

The delivery of the Olympic plane marks the conclusion of the airline's fleet renewal program that included the purchase of 18 new aircraft.

The new plane will go into service on July 16 and service European and Asian destinations.

Some of the changes being put in place for the Games by the airline and by the Vancouver airport are coming in the wake of past December's brutal winter storms, which virtually shut down operations.

Neither can afford that kind of stoppage in 2010.

“We're working very closely with Air Canada, border service agencies and others to make sure we put on a tremendous world-class experience here for everybody,” said Larry Berg, chief executive officer of the Vancouver Airport Authority.

[Yume-sama]

Wow. But probably temporary?

[ravman]

Home > More
Plane crash near Knight Street Bridge
Airport Authority confirms crash
News1130 Staff RICHMOND (NEWS1130) | Thursday, July 9th, 2009 10:25 pm


RICHMOND (NEWS1130) - A plane has crashed in what is believed to be an industrial area near the Knight Street Bridge. Alana Lawrence with Airport Authority says the plane is a Navajo, which is a small private aircraft. Unconfirmed reports suggest it went down around 10:15 p.m. near Bridgeport Road.

There's no word on how many were on board, but Lawrence believes it was fully staffed and the Navajo can hold up to eight people.

[SpongeG]

breaking news on CTV

a plane crashed near the IKEA into a bus!!!!

[Yume-sama]

It's all over Global too.

Supposedly the eyewitnesses say it nosedived. Which probably means it didn't.

Oh my goodness, they just used an FSX screenshot to show the airplane.

[Gordon]

Let's hope that some of these flights become regular services, although I don't think the market needs 2 daily nonstops to Frankfurt.

It would be nice if something could be done tax wise to make flying out of Canada cheaper. It costs twice as much to fly from Vancouver to Frankfurt as it does from Seattle.

[lightrail]

Originally Posted by zahav

I also commend Vancouver Airport Authority for its practical and fiscally responsible approach to redevelopment and expansion. This has helped keep airport fees reasonable, which is very important in a cost-conscious business such as ours."

Let me translate this into English:

"We would like to thank YVR for making sure the travelling public pay for the terminal upgrade via the airport improvement fee, and not charge the cost back to the sole benefiting airline through landing fees and facility use fees, because we're a poor broke airline that hates its customers and that the government really should give more money to keep operating"

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by lightrail

Let me translate this into English:

"We would like to thank YVR for making sure the travelling public pay for the terminal upgrade via the airport improvement fee, and not charge the cost back to the sole benefiting airline through landing fees and facility use fees, because we're a poor broke airline that hates its customers and that the government really should give more money to keep operating"

Well, I'm sure the retail will help recoup the money.

[Millennium2002]

There may be a special sighting at the airport today... I'm not sure if the Japanese SDF Boeing 747 carrying the Japanese Imperial couple is overnighting in Vancouver but I did see it earlier preparing to land at 2:00 PM while my teacher drove me eastbound on Highway 91.

- Allan Kuan

[Yume-sama]

They came to Canada with not *one* but, TWO 747's.

It would be cool to see both of them.

Here they are in Toronto:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/news46/3708484128/

Kyoto Protocol whaaa... ?