Hamilton International Airport

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by mikevbar1

Those NEC contour changes seem to favour the Book Road ex-Greenbelt lands favourably. Seems more of the lot might be suited to residential development than before.

based on the NEF 28 contour in the Official Plan restricting residential development, it's substantially less, but still a large amount:

before:



after:

[JakeLRS]

PLAY airlines says YHM-KEF is one of 3 PLAY routes that averaged a load factor above 95% in August. We were the top North American market.

https://simpleflying.com/play-august-2023-results/

Happy to see we’re actively supporting the service!!

[JakeLRS]

Post Departures now have 2 private washrooms (very nicely made) and Detour now has expanded food and drinks options.

Some people were jolting their way from security to the gate and shouting “WAIT!! WAIT!” since they were announcing final boarding call. That echoed through the entire bus ter— I mean airport terminal. I suppose this must happen frequently…

It sucks there isn’t much table or bar seating available. With only 2 flights going out within the hour, it was find to hard somewhere to sit with space.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by JakeLRS

Post Departures now have 2 private washrooms (very nicely made) and Detour now has expanded food and drinks options.

Some people were jolting their way from security to the gate and shouting “WAIT!! WAIT!” since they were announcing final boarding call. That echoed through the entire bus ter— I mean airport terminal. I suppose this must happen frequently…

It sucks there isn’t much table or bar seating available. With only 2 flights going out within the hour, it was find to hard somewhere to sit with space.

You were right, bus terminal, is all it is. Not even a fancy bus terminal. I used to get crap on this forum for calling it that, but it is what it is.

[Djeffery]

I used to hate that about London, not having washrooms post-security. Nothing more pleasant than clearing security and waiting and then realizing you need to take a leak (or worse) and there is no washroom. Nothing brings on that urge more than knowing you don't have a washroom available lol. Especially when heading on the Detroit flight because god knows when you would have had access to washroom at the other end after clearing customs.

[shoelessjoe]

Don't think I ever realized we were so spoiled at YQG -- I have been taking the post-security restrooms for granted all these years...lol.

[JakeLRS]

Originally Posted by shoelessjoe

Don't think I ever realized we were so spoiled at YQG -- I have been taking the post-security restrooms for granted all these years...lol.

Oh don’t kid yourself, YQG’s offerings are abysmal

But yah, YHM’s 2 stall mens washroom with 4 flights departing within an hour was absolutely dreadful.

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by JakeLRS

But yah, YHM’s 2 stall mens washroom with 4 flights departing within an hour was absolutely dreadful.

The mens room is next to be expanded. They just completed the expantion of the womans to 10 from 4 stalls and added the 2 family washrooms.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by shoelessjoe

Don't think I ever realized we were so spoiled at YQG -- I have been taking the post-security restrooms for granted all these years...lol.

London did get secure zone washrooms about 20 years or so ago though, around the same time we got jet bridges lol.

[king10]

Originally Posted by shoelessjoe

Don't think I ever realized we were so spoiled at YQG -- I have been taking the post-security restrooms for granted all these years...lol.

YHM has post security washroom. Just not many, but apparently they are being expanded.

[JakeLRS]

I did my first ever international arrival into YHM, and man, was a breeze. Under 5 minutes between sitting on the plane and clearing customs. I was surprised how adequately staffed customs was for only a single flight arriving, 7 officers at the desk and 3 in the baggage area.

Anyways, I enjoyed my experience with PLAY. The amount of legroom in the first 10 or so isles is phenomenal, even more space than the Swoop extra legroom seats. Pro Tip: check in last minute for better chance of landing a seat in the front 10 rows. My only problem with PLAY was that the USB outlets didn’t work on either of my flights (2 different aircraft), no headrests and kinda sturdy seats, but better than Lynx/Swoop Max seats. I also wasn’t a fan on how they didn’t fully dim the cabin on the night flight to Iceland, oh well. Will definitely be flying with them to Europe soon.

[NortheastWind]

Originally Posted by JakeLRS

I did my first ever international arrival into YHM, and man, was a breeze. Under 5 minutes between sitting on the plane and clearing customs. I was surprised how adequately staffed customs was for only a single flight arriving, 7 officers at the desk and 3 in the baggage area.

They have several officers because they're needed to do inspections on the incoming loads on the cargo and courier flights.

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by NortheastWind

They have several officers because they're needed to do inspections on the incoming loads on the cargo and courier flights.

YHM has, according to the head of CBSA operations at YHM, the largest commercial inspection operation in the country. They run out of YHM, CBSA operations out of the waterfront, Grays Road for trucking, YKF operations and self-reporting stations at smaller airports.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by JakeLRS

I did my first ever international arrival into YHM, and man, was a breeze. Under 5 minutes between sitting on the plane and clearing customs. I was surprised how adequately staffed customs was for only a single flight arriving, 7 officers at the desk and 3 in the baggage area.

Anyways, I enjoyed my experience with PLAY. The amount of legroom in the first 10 or so isles is phenomenal, even more space than the Swoop extra legroom seats. Pro Tip: check in last minute for better chance of landing a seat in the front 10 rows. My only problem with PLAY was that the USB outlets didn’t work on either of my flights (2 different aircraft), no headrests and kinda sturdy seats, but better than Lynx/Swoop Max seats. I also wasn’t a fan on how they didn’t fully dim the cabin on the night flight to Iceland, oh well. Will definitely be flying with them to Europe soon.

My daughter's experience was a fair bit slower back at the end of July. I think the position on the plane helped you. She was at the back and it was several minutes after they started letting people off that they went and opened the back door to let people out that way as well. She didn't come out of the terminal until probably 30 minutes after the plane started disembarking. She also only had carryon.

[Innsertnamehere]

It took me forever to clear customs coming from Vegas in December as well. We were at the back of the plane and it probably took almost an hour to get out the door, without any checked bags. The line for customs actually stretched out onto the tarmac, with us having to wait outside for the first few minutes.

[HamAviMech]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

It took me forever to clear customs coming from Vegas in December as well. We were at the back of the plane and it probably took almost an hour to get out the door, without any checked bags. The line for customs actually stretched out onto the tarmac, with us having to wait outside for the first few minutes.

During the winter seasonal southern flights there is times when 3 sometimes 4 international flights land within 30mins. The ground handlers (EA) had/have limited staffing and only enough to offload 1 or 2 planes at a time plus load planes so usually it's not the airlines or Airports fault. Also depending on delays and parking gates, when offloading, TC requires that international and domestic passengers can't offload/load at the same time, so sometimes your stuck on the plane until that process is complete and CSBA has it written that they can only handle 1 plane at a time. A new internationals hall is highly needed to handle more flights

[JakeLRS]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

YHM has, according to the head of CBSA operations at YHM, the largest commercial inspection operation in the country. They run out of YHM, CBSA operations out of the waterfront, Grays Road for trucking, YKF operations and self-reporting stations at smaller airports.

I completely forgot about that, I always thought they were shipped from YYZ. Totally forgot about our massive cargo ops for a second.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

My daughter's experience was a fair bit slower back at the end of July. I think the position on the plane helped you. She was at the back and it was several minutes after they started letting people off that they went and opened the back door to let people out that way as well. She didn't come out of the terminal until probably 30 minutes after the plane started disembarking. She also only had carryon.

Definitely helped I was in the first few rows

Originally Posted by HamAviMech

During the winter seasonal southern flights there is times when 3 sometimes 4 international flights land within 30mins. The ground handlers (EA) had/have limited staffing and only enough to offload 1 or 2 planes at a time plus load planes so usually it's not the airlines or Airports fault. Also depending on delays and parking gates, when offloading, TC requires that international and domestic passengers can't offload/load at the same time, so sometimes your stuck on the plane until that process is complete and CSBA has it written that they can only handle 1 plane at a time. A new internationals hall is highly needed to handle more flights

I always imagined some of the previous winter ops to have been a nightmare given the massive midnight rush of sunflights coming back. But wow, only allowing one of the flights to offload at a time based on intl/dom is something. I get it, but that must be a strain.

My PLAY flight parked on the gate closest to customs. I'm sure the airport must have come up with something to allow domestic and international aircraft to disembark simultaneously

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by HamAviMech

Also depending on delays and parking gates, when offloading, TC requires that international and domestic passengers can't offload/load at the same time

I'm guessing it's because at YHM there's a risk of international passengers mixing in with the domestics?

That issue couldn't be resolved until things are more secure (e.g., bridges instead of ground level loading/unloading).

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I'm guessing it's because at YHM there's a risk of international passengers mixing in with the domestics?

That issue couldn't be resolved until things are more secure (e.g., bridges instead of ground level loading/unloading).

You can definitely solve it without bridges, but they'd need separate arrival areas. I've been to an airport with domestic and international flights with ground boarding and offboarding only.

[JakeLRS]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

You can definitely solve it without bridges, but they'd need separate arrival areas. I've been to an airport with domestic and international flights with ground boarding and offboarding only.

So YKF can do it since they have 2 separate buildings correct?