Vancouver International Airport:

The Vancouver Airport Authority also manages other airports around the world through its Vancouver Airport Services subsidiary.

History

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh refused to include Vancouver in his North American tour because of the lack of a proper airport. Two years later, the city purchased land on Sea Island for aviation purposes.^[7]

Gateway

Due to its proximity to Asia in relation to the rest of Canada, YVR is used as a "gateway" between Canada and Asia. It has more trans-Pacific flights than any other city in Canada. The sizable number of Asian-Canadians living in Vancouver contributes the large number of flights as well.

Terminals

Vancouver International Airport has four terminals: The domestic terminal, which was constructed in 1968 and recently given a top-to-bottom renovation; the International Terminal and Transborder, which was newly constructed in the mid to late 1990s, and the South Terminal, which is a portion of the original terminal that is still in use. The International and Domestic terminals can effectively be considered to be one building divided into two sections, while the South terminal is located in a remote part of the airport. The South Terminal serves regional airlines which fly mostly within British Columbia. The international terminal is divided into international departures and trans-border departures (to the USA only); above it is a 392-room hotel.

Cost

In May 2005, the federal government, which owns the land, announced it was cutting rent costs by 54%. The rent reductions will cut the cost of the lease by approximately $840 million CAD between 2006-2020, or $5.0 billion CAD over the term of the lease, which ends in 2052. Currently, the airport authority pays about $80 million CAD each year in rent.

Passengers traveling through YVR are no longer required to pay a separate Airport Improvement Fee; it now is included in the price of a ticket.

Architecture

Vancouver International Airport's interior has a uniquely B.C. theme, featuring one of the most extensive collections of North West Coast Native art in the world, and blues and greens to reflect the colours of the land, sea and sky. The airport uses a great deal of carpet and vast expanses of glass to let in large amounts of natural light. One of the most noticeable pieces in an arriving passenger's trip is the International arrivals hall, a large area where customs and immigration procedures are completed. Arriving passengers come down escalators leading to a platform across a large waterfall. The YVR aboriginal art collection includes wooden sculptures and totem poles. Bill Reid's sculpture in bronze, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe", is displayed in the international departures area.

Public transit connections

Currently, the domestic and international terminals are served by TransLink buses 424 and N10. Route 424 connects the airport to Airport Station, a stop on the 98 B-Line express bus route between Vancouver and Richmond. Route N10 is a night bus route that connects the airport to downtown and other locations when route 424 is not running. The South Terminal is served by route C92.

Vancouver International Airport is contributing up to $300 million to the Canada Line, a rapid-transit line running from the airport to downtown Vancouver (with another branch serving central Richmond) which will be completed by November 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The total cost of the project is $2 billion. A Link Building ($117 million, completion 2007) will be the docking area for users of the line and will link the international terminal with the domestic terminal. When the line opens, Vancouver's airport will be the only one in Canada with a passenger railway connection.

Future expansion

‹ The template below (Future airport expansion) is being considered for deletion. See templates for deletion to help reach a consensus. ›

A nine-gate international terminal expansion will be done in two phases ($420 million; Phase 1 – 2007; Phase 2 – as soon as 2010). The first phase saw four new gates with two conventional wide-bodied gates and two able to accommodate the Airbus A380. The international terminal addition has several examples of beauty in British Columbia, including a stream in a proposed pathway and fish and jellyfish tanks (completed). Phase 2 will add five additional gates and is currently under construction.

Vancouver International Airport Authority is currently developing a 2007-2027 Master Plan and Land Use Plan, a look forward 20 years to ensure YVR will be able to accommodate the passengers it expects. It is asking the community for input and toured local malls with an informational display to elicit feedback. The tour is complete, but the public can still provide feedback through the Master Plan section of the YVR website, where a copy of the draft Master Plan recommendations is also available.

Operation Yellow Ribbon

The airport's reputation as a premier gateway airport between Asia and North America was made evident during Operation Yellow Ribbon on September 11, 2001. With U.S. airspace closed as a result of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, there was no choice for Vancouver International Airport but to take part in the operation since it was the only major Canadian airport on the west coast that has the capability of handling large aircraft for trans-Pacific flights. The airport handled 34 flights carrying 8,500 passengers—more passengers than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation.

The airport won the 2001 Airport Management Award from the B.C. Aviation Council^[8] and was cited for overcoming many challenges in a professional and compassionate way.^[9]

Airlines and destinations

Domestic terminal

Gates: A1-A5, B11-B22, C32-42, C50-C52. (C50-C52 are swing gates which can be used for international flights.)

International terminal

Gates: D50-D78 ( D71-D78 are swing gates are which can be used for transborder flights.) Note: US-bound flights from this terminal do not go through border preclearance.

Preclearance Transborder terminal

Gates: E71-E96 ( E71-E96 are swing transborder gates.) Note: US-bound flights from this terminal pass through border preclearance.

South terminal

Cargo only carriers

Proposed airlines

FBOs

There are several fixed base operators that service aircraft at Vancouver International Airport:

Incidents

References

^ Airport Divestiture Status Report
^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 31 July 2008 to 0901Z 25 September 2008
^ ^a ^b - Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report 2007
^ ^a ^b Vancouver Passenger Statistics
^ "2007 Regional Airport Awards". Skytrax (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
^ "2006 Airport of the Year: Results". Skytrax (2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
^ The History of YVR
^ B.C. Aviation Council
^ . "2001 Annual Report" (PDF). Vancouver International Airport Authority. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
^ http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi?rkey=1610022704&view=13213-0&Start=0
^ "Losses force airline in new direction", Fiji Times (2008-10-02). Retrieved on 1 October 2008.
^ Air China to Add Flights to Toronto, Rome, 10 Cities
^ Fly to New York from Chandigarh
^ South Korea's second largest carrier builds success on operational excellence and a strong network to China.
^ Emirates Pitches Calgary Flights
^ Abu Dhabi airline seeks Open Skies with Canada
^ Jet Airways starts daily flights to Mumbai and New Delhi from Dubai
^ Non-stop Delhi-Vancouver flights announced
^ "Taser video shows RCMP shocked immigrant within 25 seconds of their arrival". CBC (2007-11-15). Retrieved on 2007-11-15.

Vancouver International Airport

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