The first shovels of dirt were turned Tuesday afternoon as the Nanaimo Airport broke ground on a $15-million terminal expansion project expected to last 24 months and more than double the size of the existing building.
YCD has set records for passenger volume for eight consecutive years, with more than 390,000 people expected to pass through its gates by the end of 2018.
The expansion will add another 14,000 square feet and increase the terminal building’s total size by nearly 60 per cent.
“As the Central Island’s gateway to the world, we know hundreds of thousand of people rely on us for safe, convenient and comfortable travel,” said Airport CEO and president Mike Hooper, adding that “by expanding we’ll be better able to meet the needs of our region today and for the next generations.”
Passengers will benefit from a larger departure lounge which will have close to 320 seats, also more than double the current number. There will also be a new retail-food outlet and security screening area.
The enlarged facility will allow the airport to meet anticipated traffic volumes as air carriers bring in larger Boeing 737 and Airbus A319 series aircraft serving direct flights to eastern Canada and beyond.
“As we go forward, we’re going to have a non-stop service from Nanaimo to Toronto starting on June 22 and that’s an A319. That’s a 136-seater,” said Hooper. “We need to do this work that we’re doing now in preparation for that, but also in preparation for the growth that we’re going to see in the coming years.”
Hooper noted that steps are being taken to ensure that passengers are looked after as the airport prepares for the build.
“The first thing we’re going to do is double the size of security so we’re going to instantly increase the flow of people going through from 100 people and hour to 200 people an hour,” he said.
“The next phase that you’ll see in the next three months is a new boarding lounge so we’re going to have that pre-built before we build the final boarding lounge. We’re looking after our customer service and ensuring they have a high level of experience as we do the build.”
Planning for the terminal expansion project started several years back but no one could have predicted the pace at which YCD has boomed since that time.
“We’ve got a fiscally responsible board and we weren’t going to charge into breaking ground before we really needed it, and now we do really need it,” said Nanaimo Airport board chair Lucie Gosselin.
The investment project is also seen as a partnership between the Nanaimo Airport Commission and the federal and provincial governments. Each level of government contributed $2.48 million towards the project.
With both Air Canada and WestJet adding new flights to Nanaimo within the past year, and passenger volumes projected to increase another 30 per cent over the next four years, Gosselin is optimistic about the future of the airport.
“We still have room to grow,” she said, noting that if you look at market share the airport should have closer to half a million customers.
“It’s just a matter of making sure those passengers are looked after when they get here and the airlines are providing the flights that they need. So it’s a whole bunch of parts that make that happen.”
The airport’s neighbours are looking at the expansion as an economic development opportunity. Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone said the town’s proximity (it’s five minutes away) is an advantage.
“I feel like we’re ideally suited to be the best community to invest in if you want to tie part of your business to the airport,” he said. “If you’re a small distributor on Vancouver Island, the light industrial lands in Ladysmith are the best place to be. They’re the closest to transport infrastructure, not only here but at the Duke Point ferry terminal, and you combine those things and it gives you an advantage because we have lower land values and a stable local government that’s welcoming to investment.”
With the soon-to-be-completed Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham at Oyster Bay, the town will also have the closest accommodations for travellers.
“This expansion is huge for us and it helps us continue to grow and drive economic development and I think formally, and informally, they’re one of the best partners we can have.”
— with a file from Chris Bush
