Atlantic Canada airport thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by tekojim

starting July 15 Westjet will be starting a direct 6pm flight from Moncton to Ottawa. They will be using there new Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft.

Ottawa-Moncton via WestJet is now operational.

You can now fly to the nation's capital from Moncton on either Air Canada, WestJet or Porter.

Moncton is WestJet's favourite port of call in NB. WestJet service to/from Moncton includes:
- Toronto (daily direct)
- Ottawa (daily direct)
- Hamilton (seasonal direct, summer)
- Orlando (seasonal direct, winter)
- Cancun (seasonal direct, winter)

During the welcoming speech at the airport for the new WestJet service, the GMIA CEO broadly hinted that they would love to see WestJet Encore service to St. John's and the US northeast out of Moncton as well. I'm sure the CEO was just fishing, but there is no doubt that WestJet would be the best bet to service either NL or the US out of Moncton. Air Canada is just too wedded to their hub and spoke model (which favours Halifax).

We'll see what happens over the next few years as WestJet continues to role out their Encore service.

[JHikka]

I've done the Moncton-Ottawa route twice so far this year on Porter with absolutely zero issues. Much better than the Air Canada service. I have also done WestJet Ottawa-Halifax before so i'll be interested to see what the service to YQM is like. Perhaps i'll try this new WestJet service this fall.

[q12]

Westjet adding Halifax - Boston, Daily starting Apr. 15, 2016.

http://westjet2.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1006

Westjet Direct Destinations out of Stanfield:

Calgary
Edmonton
St. John's
Toronto–Pearson
Cancún
Fort Lauderdale
Glasgow–International
Hamilton
Montego Bay
Orlando
Ottawa
Punta Cana
Tampa
Boston
Deer Lake
Gander
Sydney
Ottawa

[theshark]

Passenger numbers are up again this year in Bathurst 52673 passengers last year. The slowing down of the projects out west might have an impact on the numbers for next year. Also they now have a picture on the newly proposed terminal, which would more than double the size of the current terminal!

http://ckle.fm/actualite/item/7820-les-t...bathurst-se-sont-maintenues-en-2014-2015

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by q12

Westjet adding Halifax - Boston, Daily starting Apr. 15, 2016.

This might actually be good news for the GMIA too. If WestJet plans on daily direct service from Halifax to Boston, it's concievable they might consider something similar here as well.

As I've said, Air Canada is too wedded to the hub and spoke model to consider any new or different services based out of Moncton. WestJet Encore however might be versatile enough to consider direct flights which are a little more exotic such as Moncton-Boston or Moncton-St. John's.

Only time will tell.........

[homebody]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

This might actually be good news for the GMIA too. If WestJet plans on daily direct service from Halifax to Boston, it's concievable they might consider something similar here as well.

As I've said, Air Canada is too wedded to the hub and spoke model to consider any new or different services based out of Moncton. WestJet Encore however might be versatile enough to consider direct flights which are a little more exotic such as Moncton-Boston or Moncton-St. John's.

Only time will tell.........

Or they might even consider Fredericton to Boston or St John's. Due to the fact that Fredericton is further away from Halifax then Moncton and would not possibly drain customers away from Halifax flights. Fredericton is an hour away from Moncton and Saint John. All of western N.B. is within an hour and a half of Fredericton. There is definately some thinking that some of the customers will come from western Nova Scotia And south eastern New Brunswick to Halifax. That is probably the reason no other airline is doing those routes out of Moncton. There is not many people that actually use those routes in the maritimes as a whole. My two cents.

[MonctonRad]

Top 10 Canadian Airports by Cargo Tonnage (2014)

YYZ 356,448 up ~ 10,100
YVR 217,201 up over 22,000
YHM 88,983 up ~ 2,400
YYC 84,994 up ~ 1,400
YUL 76,748 down ~ 200
YMX 64,148 down ~ 100
YWG 61,228 up ~ 900
YHZ 28,688 up ~ 1,100
YEG 27,624 up ~ 400
YQM 21,262 up ~ 1,500

YQM (GMIA) had the 4th highest increase in tonnage for 2014, and there should be a healthy increase this year too with the newly implemented Kelowna Flightcraft services to Toronto-Pearson and Brussels-Liege.

[Steelcowboy]

Those are nice numbers, I wonder if that new KFA service killed the Cargo Airlines service to Liege from YQM. I haven't seen it on the schedule in a long time.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Top 10 Canadian Airports by Cargo Tonnage (2014)

YYZ 356,448 up ~ 10,100
YVR 217,201 up over 22,000
YHM 88,983 up ~ 2,400
YYC 84,994 up ~ 1,400
YUL 76,748 down ~ 200
YMX 64,148 down ~ 100
YWG 61,228 up ~ 900
YHZ 28,688 up ~ 1,100
YEG 27,624 up ~ 400
YQM 21,262 up ~ 1,500

YQM (GMIA) had the 4th highest increase in tonnage for 2014, and there should be a healthy increase this year too with the newly implemented Kelowna Flightcraft services to Toronto-Pearson and Brussels-Liege.

Halifax (YHZ) was 32,000 in 2014

Source HIAA: http://hiaa.ca/2015/05/record-passengers-and-cargo-lift-halifax-stanfield/

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by q12

Halifax (YHZ) was 32,000 in 2014

Source HIAA: http://hiaa.ca/2015/05/record-passengers-and-cargo-lift-halifax-stanfield/

I lifted this from the Canada section. These are supposedly official Statistics Canada numbers. Maybe the HIAA is fudging things a bit.

source: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lan...Val=1&p1=1&p2=31&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Steelcowboy

Those are nice numbers, I wonder if that new KFA service killed the Cargo Airlines service to Liege from YQM. I haven't seen it on the schedule in a long time.

Perhaps, but I think the Cargo Airlines 747 service to Liege was seasonal anyway (during the lobster season). It could be though that the Kelowna Flightcraft service might make it redundant.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I lifted this from the Canada section. These are supposedly official Statistics Canada numbers. Maybe the HIAA is fudging things a bit.

source: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lan...Val=1&p1=1&p2=31&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

I think the airport authority would have numbers that are more accurate than statistics Canada.

What would be the advantage of fudging the the numbers? Just for bragging rights? That sounds right out of the 2015 Edition of The Moncton Guidebook on how to make yourself look bigger and more important than you really are coming to bookstores this fall...

Moncton was higher too according to their press release, of course they could be just fudging the numbers...

http://www.cyqm.ca/en/home/aboutus/news/Healthyincreaseswithcargotrafficin2014.aspx
February 19, 2015
DIEPPE, NB – Cargo traffic at the Greater Moncton International Airport (GMIA) saw a healthy increase once again in 2014, continuing a positive overall trend for New Brunswick’s fastest-growing and busiest airport.

Cargo tonnage from carriers such as C.A.L. Cargo Airlines, the newest addition to the cargo business in our region, flying in weekly with their Boeing 747 during lobster fishing season, Bluebird, Cargojet, EVAS, FedEx, Purolator, UPS, Skylink and WestJet Cargo increased by 3% to 24,905 metric tonnes compared to 24,172 in 2013 and 22,832 in 2012.

[MonctonRad]

I was just kidding (as I suspect you were too).

I imagine both sets of figures are correct. In all likelyhood, Stats Can is issuing "calendar year" numbers while the HIAA and the GMIAA are issuing "corporate year" numbers.

It's all good. It's encouraging to see both Halifax Stanfield and the GMIA grow their cargo business.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I was just kidding (as I suspect you were too).

I imagine both sets of figures are correct. In all likelyhood, Stats Can is issuing "calendar year" numbers while the HIAA and the GMIAA are issuing "corporate year" numbers.

It's all good. It's encouraging to see both Halifax Stanfield and the GMIA grow their cargo business.

Yeah, I think the same thing happens with passenger numbers as Statistic Canada's numbers are never the same as the airport authorities.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by CHSJ News

Airport Looking For Millions Of Dollars For Upgrades
Posted on Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Discussions are going on between Saint John Airport with the federal and provincial governments about how to fund 50 million dollars worth of upgrades, the most estensive since the airport was built back in 1952.

The work would include rehabilitating the airfield's runway surfaces, a runway extension, navigational enhancements to combat fog and new safety equipment.

The Airport's runways last had a facelift in 2001. Saint John is also the third foggiest airport in the country.

http://www.country94.ca/news/1400919840/airport-looking-millions-dollars-upgrades

[magee_b]

A few quotes from today's TJ article about YSJ

Saint John Airport wants to land $50M in upgrades August 5, 2015

While passenger traffic is up, CEO David Allen says the airport needs to continue to invest in better infrastructure as airlines modernize their fleets. “We’ve never really had much money spent on this airport,” Allen said in an interview Tuesday. “We’ve done minor upgrades to the terminal, but it’s in essence it’s the same building, same facility, same runways as we had when it was built.”

The airport’s runways were last refurbished in 2001. Since then, they have undergone regular resurfacing, but like roads, the airport’s runway surfaces experience wear and tear due to weather, including freeze-thaw cycles and regular traffic, he said. A runway extension would see 3,000 feet added, making it a total of 10,000 feet, or about three kilometres, in length. New centre-line lighting would improve aircraft performance during reduced visibility, including fog, he said. Saint John has the country’s third-foggiest airport, behind St. John’s and Halifax.

Glad to see centre-line lighting is listed as a main priority. Definitely needed at Saint John.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by magee_b

A few quotes from today's TJ article about YSJ

Saint John Airport wants to land $50M in upgrades August 5, 2015


Glad to see centre-line lighting is listed as a main priority. Definitely needed at Saint John.

It would be fantastic to see the airport finally get some federal funding.

There is a strong rumor that we will see a Northeast US flight out of SJ before the end of the summer.

[homebody]

Originally Posted by nwalbert

It would be fantastic to see the airport finally get some federal funding.

There is a strong rumor that we will see a Northeast US flight out of SJ before the end of the summer.

I heard the same rumour. I heard that Westjet Encore was setting up both a route to Toronto as well as a route to Boston or New York. Fingers Crossed! perhaps its the same rumour you heard?

[Smevo]

Late to the game, but Sydney hit 199,655 in 2014.

Trying to find my old post to see what that is compared to previous years. Given the new flights this year, should crack 200,000 in 2015 despite the slight decline to start the year.

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Business/2...n-passengers-numbers-to-start-the-year/1

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

So now we have updated passenger data on four airports in the Maritimes:

Moncton - 677,159
Charlottetown - 317,827
Fredericton - 315,000
Saint John - 248,784

Found it

Originally Posted by Smevo

I dug up the old passenger growth list from a previous post, and I'll add in 2012 to it. Add in the 12% ytd increase this year, and it's looking promising for a higher number in 2013.

Westjet's effect vs Sunwing's
2005 (AC only) 91709
2006 (AC, Sunwing seasonal Toronto and vacation Holguin) 99819
2007 (AC, Sunwing seasonal Toronto and vacation Holguin) 105699
2008 (AC, Sunwing seasonal Toronto and vacation Holguin) 110709
2009 (AC, Westjet seasonal Toronto, Sunwing service stopped) 120898
2010 (AC, Westjet seasonal Toronto) 137946
2011 (AC, Westjet seasonal Toronto) ~139000
2012 (AC, Westjet seasonal Toronto) ~154000
2013 (AC, Westjet seasonal Toronto) 170000
2014 (AC - year round Toronto started to end year, Westjet seasonal Toronto) 199,655

17.4% increase over 2013!
118% increase over 9 years!

[UptownJeff]

Originally Posted by homebody

I heard the same rumour. I heard that Westjet Encore was setting up both a route to Toronto as well as a route to Boston or New York. Fingers Crossed! perhaps its the same rumour you heard?

Wow, that would be great, if not a bit surprising! If Moncton couldn't support the US flight not sure how SJ will! If the rumors here are true about a major expansion at the refinery....maybe.....

It would have to be affordable - I can drive to Bangor and catch a 200 flight return to NYC.