Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalreg
Great growth for Quebec City, but very low totals still? 1.4 million total? I would expect to see at least double or triple that for a city the size of that.
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Yes, even though the growth is impressive, the total number of passengers is still relatively small considering the size of Quebec City but it is important to remember that historically, Montreal's proximity has always hindered the airport's growth since people didn't mind driving to Montreal's airport because airline companies only operated there. For the same reason, tourists also used to drive between the two cities instead of taking the plane. As a consequence, ticket prices were much higher in the provincial capital, which only exacerbated this situation. However, since the airport reached a critical size in the last few years, the number of airline companies present at Quebec City airport has increased and a new reality is now emerging: lower ticket costs due to increased competition and more national and international direct flights. For example, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Delta Airlines are now all offering flights to multiple US destinations. Growth in domestic passenger traffic is still lagging a bit though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy_haak
That absolutely incredible growth. I wonder if the airport authority taking over from Transport Canada has been a factor. Greater lobbying for more routes perhaps?
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I do not know if the airport's authority lobbied for more routes (more than likely!) but I can say that the management in place is very competent and has put in place a very ambitious yet thoughful long term plan, which you can consult here in english:
http://www.aeroportdequebec.com/wp-conte.../images/pdf/YQB-Master-Plan-22062010.pdf