YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[craneSpotter]

Originally Posted by Rogie

Abbotsford YXX opened their terminal expansion today, squarely aiming at budget travellers in the region. Their ambition is to handle 10% of YVR's traffic within 10 years. They confidently predict 1 million this year, maybe by October or November.

westernaviationnews.com/2019/01/24/abbotsford-opens-terminal-expansion/

The article refers to Abbotford as a Vancouver suburb - twice! The Lower Mainland's geography almost guarantees YXX growth over the next 20 years as Langley, Abbotsford/Mission and Chilliwack grow (my quick math says there is >500,000 people in the region) - only makes sense that a larger airport is needed in the Valley for domestic connections and winter leisure destinations. Kind of like ONT in the greater LA area.

You'll know YXX is significant when AC starts scheduled service there - YYZ should be one of the first, on Rouge maybe?

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Also the downguage is massive and doesn't really make sense with the new AC/CA JV. We should be seeing more Asia pax routed through PEK, not 30% less.

Unless this is met with a corresponding increase by Air China it doesn't make sense from both a fleet utilization standpoint, nor a capacity standpoint.

There’s a fair amount of capacity adjustments to China lately.... same with Australia. CA pulling its SYD/MEL-PVG flights and pulling out of BNE altogether.
There are no moves on secondary markets either and Australia isn’t capped like Canada (yet). Europe seems to be the target of new capacity adds recently.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

The article refers to Abbotford as a Vancouver suburb - twice! The Lower Mainland's geography almost guarantees YXX growth over the next 20 years as Langley, Abbotsford/Mission and Chilliwack grow (my quick math says there is >500,000 people in the region) - only makes sense that a larger airport is needed in the Valley for domestic connections and winter leisure destinations. Kind of like ONT in the greater LA area.

You'll know YXX is significant when AC starts scheduled service there - YYZ should be one of the first, on Rouge maybe?

A lot of this capacity may be more of a strategic attack against Flair than anything else.

AC has been in and out of YXX over the years. Rouge is already on YXX-YYZ (seasonal summer service). There used to be flights to YYC on Jazz as well. I think AC will continue to focus on YVR and let the others duke it out at YXX.

[nname]

Mexico traffic data for 2018

One way from Vancouver to...

CANCUN			115,721	 +32.6%
HUATULCO		  8,537	 +23.7%
IXTAPA			  7,389	 +57.4%
MANZANILLO		      0	-100.0%
MAZATLAN		  7,810	 -12.1%
MEXICO			174,946	 +33.8%
PUERTO VALLARTA		 79,463	 +12.5%
SAN JOSÉ DEL CABO	 52,268	 +28.2%

TOTAL			446,134	 +26.5%

I assume the return flights should be similar, so I'm not going to do it twice

Interestingly for all other Canadian cities, the traffic to CUN is almost double of MEX.... Maybe there's a lot of connecting traffic in YVR-MEX? Or somehow Vancouverites prefers going to Mexico City rather than Cancun for their vacation

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by nname

Mexico traffic data for 2018

One way from Vancouver to...

CANCUN			115,721	 +32.6%
HUATULCO		  8,537	 +23.7%
IXTAPA			  7,389	 +57.4%
MANZANILLO		      0	-100.0%
MAZATLAN		  7,810	 -12.1%
MEXICO			174,946	 +33.8%
PUERTO VALLARTA		 79,463	 +12.5%
SAN JOSÉ DEL CABO	 52,268	 +28.2%

TOTAL			446,134	 +26.5%

I assume the return flights should be similar, so I'm not going to do it twice

Interestingly for all other Canadian cities, the traffic to CUN is almost double of MEX.... Maybe there's a lot of connecting traffic in YVR-MEX? Or somehow Vancouverites prefers going to Mexico City rather than Cancun for their vacation

These stats would be for passengers flying on the particular route and not O&D. I would think there would be a lot of connecting traffic at MEX particularly on AM.
But yes... with 5 flights per day to MEX that’s why that route is so large.

Those are some pretty impressive increases.

YYC total was 340,678
YEG total was 111,584
YLW total was about 15,000
And “Victoria, Columbia” had about 8,200

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by Rogie

Abbotsford YXX opened their terminal expansion today, squarely aiming at budget travellers in the region. Their ambition is to handle 10% of YVR's traffic within 10 years. They confidently predict 1 million this year, maybe by October or November.

westernaviationnews.com/2019/01/24/abbotsford-opens-terminal-expansion/

As posted above: Local TV news reported YXX 2018 total: 842,212.

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Great that Abbotsford YXX is expanding. Right now it's for low-cost flights, but may, in time, mature into a small airport that handles mainline traffic, too.
I think it's it's always good for a city like Vancouver, now with YVR busier than ever, to have another airport as a backup in case of emergencies and flight diversions of any sort.
*Also, having two airports is a sign of the maturation of a metropolitan airport's air traffic, and of the city itself.

Abbotsford has been filling this role for decades.

[nname]

WS extends YVR-MCO year-round, summer flight is 1x weekly on Saturday.

Have not seen YXU and YHM added so far, and haven't seen any other changes (although I'm unfamiliar with WS schedule last year)

[Rogie]

Originally Posted by nname

WS extends YVR-MCO year-round, summer flight is 1x weekly on Saturday.

Have not seen YXU and YHM added so far, and haven't seen any other changes (although I'm unfamiliar with WS schedule last year)

MCO extension is the only addition for YVR.

https://westernaviationnews.com/2019/01/28/modest-growth-in-westjet-summer-schedule/

[zahav]

At this point I'd be surprised to see WS give YVR any other new routes (esp. in North America), they have been clear about only focusing on YYC, it means all flights will be planned to connect through there. Definitely a 180 from a few years ago, when WS was introducing new routes and AC's transborder was fairly stagnant. Now it's the opposite

[Johnny Aussie]

Although no official numbers posted yet looks like YVR finished off 2018 at 25.9Million....

http://www.yvr.ca/en/blog/2019/ceo-corner-january-2019

[craneSpotter]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

AC has been in and out of YXX over the years. Rouge is already on YXX-YYZ (seasonal summer service). There used to be flights to YYC on Jazz as well. I think AC will continue to focus on YVR and let the others duke it out at YXX.

Of course..I should have clarified- daily, year-round scheduled service to YYZ - with only Rouge (A32x) - not AC mainline.

[osirisboy]

Richmond says that the d expansion is the largest since 1996. Is that right?! It's only adding 4 gates

[nname]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Of course..I should have clarified- daily, year-round scheduled service to YYZ - with only Rouge (A32x) - not AC mainline.

YYZ-YXX is 5x weekly A319 now.

[SpongeG]

So I am going to go to Tokyo in April and wonder any suggestions for an airline? some interesting options. Cheapest is with Air China but you have a short layover in Beijing. Cathay Pacific with a stop first in Hong Kong with a 20-hour layover, Korean Air with a stop in Seoul for a few hours or direct with either Air Canada or Japan Airlines, there are other options too, even Delta. I'm leaning to Air Canada.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

So I am going to go to Tokyo in April and wonder any suggestions for an airline? some interesting options. Cheapest is with Air China but you have a short layover in Beijing. Cathay Pacific with a stop first in Hong Kong with a 20-hour layover, Korean Air with a stop in Seoul for a few hours or direct with either Air Canada or Japan Airlines, there are other options too, even Delta. I'm leaning to Air Canada.

What about ANA to HND?

I only fly Star Alliance (unless there is no other option) so I am biased.

You are right though there are soooooo many options now.

[CareerShow]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

So I am going to go to Tokyo in April and wonder any suggestions for an airline? some interesting options. Cheapest is with Air China but you have a short layover in Beijing. Cathay Pacific with a stop first in Hong Kong with a 20-hour layover, Korean Air with a stop in Seoul for a few hours or direct with either Air Canada or Japan Airlines, there are other options too, even Delta. I'm leaning to Air Canada.

JAL just adjusted their summer schedule, 763 back online starting mid summer.......

[Hourglass]

Major backtracking if you fly via HK or Beijing. Seoul could be a better option. For nonstop, I’d suggest ANA to Haneda as it’s closer to the city. JAL and AC fly to Narita which is further from the city.

[teriyaki]

Would recommend JAL on their 787 direct to Narita. Best economy seat product of all the airlines crossing the pacific. Although after the switch back to 767 could be questionable depending on which version they fly.

Could also look into Eva or China airlines connecting in TPE. They both fly RedEye out which I love because it means less vacation days taken.

Have flown the delta product from Seattle as well and would not necessarily recommend unless price difference is quite significant. Connecting in states is never too fun. Second only to the pain of connecting in China.

[SpongeG]

The delta option unless it was American flew out of YVR, perhaps a codeshare?

Anyway i want it cheap, Air Canada though lets you book a hotel and flight together making it easier, I don't know if I want to book the hotel separate, still figuring out what I can do there, maybe a couple days somewhere else but will see