YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[Hourglass]

Sorry, this brings out the avgeek in me...

So for summer 2014, I'm counting 120+ flights/week YVR-Asia -- not including cargo or flights from Oceania:

21x Tokyo (ANA, AC, JL 7x each)
14x Seoul (AC, KE 7x each)
21x Shanghai (MU 14x, AC 7x)
19x Beijing (CA 12x, AC 7x)
7x Guangzhou (CZ)
3x Shenyang (3U)
21x Hong Kong (AC 7x, CX 14x)
11x Taipei (CI 7x, BR 4x)
7x Manila (PR 7x)

Interesting that Air Canada makes up less than 1/3 of this.

Either way, pretty impressive, and I'm guessing probably not too far behind SFO in terms of flight frequency.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Hourglass

Sorry, this brings out the avgeek in me...

So for summer 2014, I'm counting 120+ flights/week YVR-Asia -- not including cargo or flights from Oceania:

21x Tokyo (ANA, AC, JL 7x each)
14x Seoul (AC, KE 7x each)
21x Shanghai (MU 14x, AC 7x)
19x Beijing (CA 12x, AC 7x)
7x Guangzhou (CZ)
3x Shenyang (3U)
21x Hong Kong (AC 7x, CX 14x)
11x Taipei (CI 7x, BR 4x)
7x Manila (PR 7x)

Interesting that Air Canada makes up less than 1/3 of this.

Either way, pretty impressive, and I'm guessing probably not too far behind SFO in terms of flight frequency.

Also interesting:


Star Alliance: 58 - AC 35, ANA 7, CA 12, BR 4
One world: 21 - JAL 7, CA 14
Sky Team 35 - KE 7, MU 14, CZ 7, CI 7
Independent: 10 - - 3U 3, PR 7

Interesting for a city that use to be the head quarters of Oneworld in years past that it is the number 3 alliance into the airport.

[Johnny Aussie]

^^ And don't forget... 69 flights per week this summer to Europe.

In fact over the next week or so:

Icelandair commences new seasonal flights to KEF
Virgin Atlantic kicks off its summer seasonal flights (up to 5 per week this summer compared to 4 last year)
Rouge commences Anchorage for its new seasonal service (replaces AC mainline)
Westjet Encore launching new YMM daily flights.

[Gordon]

According to the latest terminal map Gate B18(formerly gate B16 is n active gate. any reason why it's not being used?

[zahav]

that map is a little bit off right now, since gates B17 & B18 (as well as B27 & B28) will be opening sortly

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by casper

Also interesting:


Star Alliance: 58 - AC 35, ANA 7, CA 12, BR 4
One world: 21 - JAL 7, CA 14
Sky Team 35 - KE 7, MU 14, CZ 7, CI 7
Independent: 10 - - 3U 3, PR 7

Interesting for a city that use to be the head quarters of Oneworld in years past that it is the number 3 alliance into the airport.

This is interesting. Which city used to be the HQ of ONEWORLD?
In the list above, SKYTEAM is the number 3 alliance.
Could I ask you to clarify all this? Thank you.

[Klazu]

I find it interesting that their headquarters used to be in the fabulous Marine Building:

"This building was also the management centre for oneworld, of one of the three largest airline alliances in the world, from its founding in May 2000 until it was relocated to New York City in June 2011."

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by casper

Also interesting:


Star Alliance: 58 - AC 35, ANA 7, CA 12, BR 4
One world: 21 - JAL 7, CA 14
Sky Team 35 - KE 7, MU 14, CZ 7, CI 7
Independent: 10 - - 3U 3, PR 7

Interesting for a city that use to be the head quarters of Oneworld in years past that it is the number 3 alliance into the airport.

Don't forget BA to London.

Of course it would likely be a vastly different picture if Canadian Airlines as a founding Oneworld member had survived.

Either way, once CP was taken over by AC, I'm guessing it was just a matter of time before Oneworld moved somewhere better served by member airlines.

[trofirhen]

... speaking of which, I wish we had a flight to Istanbul.
Turkish is Star Alliance, and they're seeking to expand rapidly.
SUPER jumping off point for the Eastern Mediterranean and Mideast, as well as East Africa, and the Caucasus regions (Teheran, etc)

[jlousa]

And I wish we had the demand for it, but we don't, hence we don't have the flights.

[LeftCoaster]

It's probably because of all the small town logging mentality and hippies here...

I know I shouldn't do this, it might get trofirhen going again, but I just can't help myself. This was in the news the other day...

YVR Recovers from 2008 Slump
Niko Bell | MAY 9, 2014

Airport Authority CEO Craig Richmond says Sao Paulo is within reach of flight expansions, but Mumbai is just too far away

President and CEO Craig Richmond finished off a comfortable first year at the head of the Vancouver Airport Authority Thursday, reporting at an annual public meeting that passenger numbers have finally bounced back above their 2008 high. Richmond took over from Larry Berg last June, in time to bask in YVR’s fifth-straight Skytrax Airport Award for best airport in North America.

Richmond announced the rollout of a new line of biometric customs kiosks and talked up a new discount luxury shopping centre that will open on Sea Island next year. He also reaffirmed that YVR is still negotiating with the federal government to allow passengers to fly through Canada without obtaining Canadian visas, a plan that he says will allow the airport to offer direct flights to South America and several new Chinese cities.

“All we need is the federal government to come on board,” Richmond said, but would disclose what exactly was holding up the process. “It’s a very delicate thing when you’re talking about government policy… These things can go sideways. You think you have something going, and then you don’t.”

Faced with a question from the audience about flights to South Asia, however, Richmond said that planes are not efficient enough yet to make the flight worth it.
“It’s just a long ways,” he said. “That extra two or three hours, depending on winds, that take you past Shanghai to Mumbai, kills the yield. Many airlines have tried it, and few have succeeded, given current technology.”

Richmond also threw up his hands in response to a question about Bellingham airport poaching business from YVR with super cheap flights. “I can’t argue with that,” he said. “I would like everyone who flies out of B.C. to fly out of Vancouver. But I also recognize that Bellingham is in a different country with an entirely different cost structure…. We paid $42 million in rent here last year and Bellingham gets grants from the federal government in the States to run the airport. I don’t think given that cost structure… that we can compete on cost with Bellingham.”

Richmond said that to compete with Bellingham and Seattle, YVR will have to be a “high value” airport, offering better services and more destinations.
YVR’s biggest lump this year, however, was a $50-million writeoff in its subsidiary, Vantage Airport Group. Vantage pulled out of its 65 per cent ownership of Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, citing an economic downturn and tough competition for the failed investment.

YVR generated $430 million in revenue in 2013, and invested $190 million into capital projects. The airport also added $20 million to its cash reserves. The annual report noted that Richmond was paid an approximately $450,000 salary as president.

http://www.bcbusiness.ca/manufacturing-transport/yvr-recovers-from-2008-slump

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by jlousa

And I wish we had the demand for it, but we don't, hence we don't have the flights.

Very true. Sometimes it is easy to forget that, despite its spectacular growth in some domains, the whole Vancouver metro population is a 'blip' compared to many other destinations.

[Johnny Aussie]

YVR to welcome overseas airline #19 tomorrow.

KEF airport website just posted on the departure info page

FI 697 departs KEF at 1715.

I assume another water cannon arrival.

And.... Virgin Atlantic resumes flights tomorrow as well.

VS 97 scheduled to arrive 10 minutes before Icelandair.

And.... Condor has also kicked off the summer season with their new livery/logo.

On another note Westjet Encore's first flight to YMM operated earlier today.

[ewh12]

You guys might be interested to learn that Philippine Airlines next stage of North American expansion may include an YVR-EWR/JFK flight come October. It will be a throwback since they last served that route in the late 90s.

"I think we should be able to go to New York via Vancouver towards October," Ang said.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/05/13/14/pal-eyes-new-generation-planes

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

YVR to welcome overseas airline #19 tomorrow.

KEF airport website just posted on the departure info page

FI 697 departs KEF at 1715.

I assume another water cannon arrival.

I'd rather have year-round service (such as from SEA-TAC and YYZ), never mind the hoopla.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by ewh12

You guys might be interested to learn that Philippine Airlines next stage of North American expansion may include an YVR-EWR/JFK flight come October. It will be a throwback since they last served that route in the late 90s.

I think PR finally realised they can't compete in the EU-Asia market and are refocusing their efforts on North America, particularly on routes where they have a monopoly.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by ewh12

You guys might be interested to learn that Philippine Airlines next stage of North American expansion may include an YVR-EWR/JFK flight come October. It will be a throwback since they last served that route in the late 90s.

The article also mentions Chicago and "Florida" as other possible new destinations. It also mentions Seoul and Tokyo as possible stopover points to the US instead of YVR.

In any event they talk about October. They might want to sort that out quickly... October is only 5 months away.

[Johnny Aussie]

Looks like YVR will see quite a bit of AC 787 action by next summer.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...es-its-first-dreamliner/article18643753/

According to this article there will no longer be 767 trans-Pacific flights next summer. They will have 8 787 frames by next June. A natural transition in place I suppose. We know YVR-PVG is the first YVR 787 route already loaded to start late October anyway.

YVR-NRT
YVR-ICN
YVR-PVG
YVR-PEK

Also mentions possible new routes to Asia.

I see potentially YVR-CAN.

[officedweller]

On the original site of the outlet mall on Sea Island (next to BCIT):

Autism centre plans to break ground in Richmond
Facility will serve as a provincial hub for autism research and services.
Graeme Wood / Richmond News
May 13, 2014 12:53 PM



The Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation hopes to get one step closer to breaking ground on a 60,000 square foot facility on Sea Island after seeking approval from the City of Richmond.

The application will go to a development permit panel today and city staff is recommending city councillors approve it.

The $28 million building would be built next to the BCIT Aerospace campus by the non-profit organization, which has raised the money for the facility through private and public funds.

The foundation’s CEO Sergio Cocchia said $20 million has come from a provincial government grant while the remaining funds will come from donations. A $5 million endowment fund will help kick-start the operations.

...

See more at: http://www.richmond-news.com/autism-cent...-richmond-1.1059356#sthash.YMwAVNzO.dpuf

[spm2013]

Originally Posted by officedweller

On the original site of the outlet mall on Sea Island (next to BCIT):

This looks to be located north of the BCIT campus while the outlet mall was on the corner of Russ Baker and Gilbert:

City of Richmond on the original outlet mall proposal:

http://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/Mall_Russ-Baker_CNCL_07231233457.pdf

And makes sense since the project is at 1001 Hudson Ave.

Development permit report:

http://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/DP_13_64557938515.pdf