INFORMATION SUPPLEMENT MEETINGS/CONVENTIONS/TOURISM

Air force ground crew

Airports offer the first – and last – impression of a destination. What do Atlantic ’s say about the region? By Emily Sollows

atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business Magazine 71 MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION tlantic Canada’s airports are soaring. With routes at record New Brunswick highs and fares at all-time lows, Bathurst Regional Distance to city/town: 8 km, 13 minutes more people are flying than ever before. Flies to 1 destination (Montreal) A Number of Runways: 1 Infrastructure is expanding and route Max. length of runway: 5,000 ft. Largest plane to ever land: Hercules No. of passengers 2014: 49,500 capacities are growing and increasingly, Ongoing or planned renovations: Planning major terminal renovation and runway extension at a airports are becoming not just places to cost of $7 million; recently rehabilitated apron and taxiway A. pass through, but attractions themselves with uniquely regional cultural programs — Fredericton International Airport Distance to city/town: 14 km, 17 minutes live performances, art exhibits and friendly Flies to 4 destinations plus seasonal flights south Number of runways: 2 volunteers waiting to welcome travellers. Max. length of runway: 8,010 ft. Largest plane to ever land: Antonov No. of passengers 2014: 315,000 Ongoing or planned renovations: Terminal expansion project Welcome to Halifax When passengers arrive at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (HSIA) Greater Moncton International Airport — Atlantic Canada’s largest airport — Distance to city/town: 10 kms, 8 minutes they taxi along the runway, enter the Flies to 7 seasonal sun destinations; 6 year-round Number of runways: 2 gate, then walk through the terminal, Max. length of runway: 10,001 ft seeing the shops, restaurants, local Largest plane to ever land: Boeing 747 artwork — and Cheryl, dressed in No. of passengers in 2014: 678,000 Nova Scotia tartan and a welcoming Ongoing or planned renovations: building an smile. Airport Operations Facility that will house the maintenance team, the electrical team and Growing up, Cheryl Byard wanted firefighters. Scheduled to open this fall. to be a flight attendant. She moved to Halifax and walked confidently toward her dream, into an interview Saint John Airport with Air Canada. She didn’t get far. Cheryl Byard has volunteered 750 hours Distance to city/town: 16 kilometres, 23 minutes She’d injured her eye and didn’t meet since she first started with the Tartan Team Flies to 6 destinations at Halifax Stanfield International Airport Number of runways: 2 the vision requirements to be an airline staff member. Shifting career in March 2012. “I love airports. People are Max. length of runway: 7,005 ft. going and coming, you meet people from all Largest plane to ever land: C5 Galaxy paths led Cheryl to her current job as over the world,” Cheryl says. No. of passengers 2014: 250,000 a senior Crown attorney in Dartmouth, Ongoing or planned renovations: Renovating N.S. But every Saturday from 12 p.m. runways and other paved airfield surfaces, terminal building, water and wastewater to 4 p.m., she fulfills her dream of faces of HSIA. “People know that treatment facilities. helping travellers as a Tartan Team when you go to the Halifax airport, volunteer, greeting some of the there are volunteers here who are 3.6-million travellers who trickle helpful,” Cheryl says. “It’s an airport Prince Edward Island through the airport yearly. they look forward to coming to.” The Tartan Team comprises more Cheryl is right. Year after year, HSIA than 100 volunteers, dispersed is ranked among the best airports Distance to city/town: 8 km, 12 minutes throughout the airport, welcoming, in the world. The airport received Flies to 5 destinations guiding and helping any passengers Number of runways: 2 third best airport in the world under Max. length of runway: 7,000 ft. from any airline travelling through five million passengers, fourth best Largest plane to ever land: Airbus 330 HSIA. Similar welcome programs have regional airport in North America No. of passengers 2014: 317,827 also made their way into the Greater and sixth best airport staff in North Ongoing or planned renovations: Renovation Moncton International Airport and America by the Skytrax World Airport of boarding counters and runway rehabilitation project. Gander International Airport. Awards. Cheryl and the rest of the Tartan Team have become the community

72 Atlantic Business Magazine | September/October 2015 Greater heights Canada to be above the national Nova Scotia Flying in Atlantic Canada is now growth trends for 2014. They don’t Halifax Stanfi eld more enticing than ever. Monette expect this trend to slow anytime International Airport Pasher, executive director of the soon, predicting progress to continue Distance to city/town: Approximately 40 km, Atlantic Canada Airport Association, through 2015. “Air transportation is 35 minutes says: “The fares are more attractive no longer viewed as a luxury motor Flies to 49 destinations (peak season) than they’ve ever been. There are travel, it’s become integral in our Number of runways: 2 Max. length of runway: 10,500 ft. more routes; more way of life and I think Largest plane to ever land: Airbus A380 people are flying to people want to get (world’s largest passenger airliner) more places more DID YOU KNOW to their destinations No. of passengers in 2014: 3,663,039 often. It’s a much more Passenger traffi c quicker and easier,” Ongoing or planned renovations: Development global economy.” The says Pasher. There has of airport property; improving traffi c fl ow with at the Charlottetown new roadway system. trend in increasing Airport has grown 75% also been a shift in routes and passenger the way people travel. traffic is Atlantic-wide. since the opening of “People aren’t doing Pasher says passenger the Confederation those two-week family J.A. Douglas McCurdy traffic has risen nine Bridge in 1997 holidays anymore. They Sydney Airport Distance to city/town: 15 km, 20 minutes per cent in Atlantic might be taking a week Flies to 2 destinations Canada over the past South and then a couple Number of runways: 2 five years. Airports have secured 17 of long weekends with their family,” Max. length of runway: 7,070 ft. new routes and increased capacity she says. “Those types of multiple Largest plane to ever land: Boeing 757 No. of passengers in 2014: 199,655 Passengers on 11 existing routes. In 2013 alone, short getaways really lend themselves Ongoing or planned renovations: replace roof on passenger traffic jumped 4.4 per cent. to air travel because of the time and air terminal building, installation of septic fi eld, Pasher says the official numbers are convenience.” replacement of provincial hangar apron, and not in yet, but she expects Atlantic Pasher points to the shift away replacement of electrical sub-station.

atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business Magazine 73 from road and ferry travel, especially province as they recognize that prominent in the Newfoundland growing trend in people wanting Newfoundland and Labrador and Labrador economy. In 2014, to travel by air and the need for Gander International Airport N.L.’s air travel increased 6.4 per moving people for the mobile Distance to city/town: 2.5 km, 4 minutes cent; their ferry traffic decreased 6.7 workforce.” It’s not just St. John’s Flies to 7 destinations per cent. Now, 79 per cent of non- International. Of the 12 airports Number of runways: 2 resident visitors fly to the province. ACAA represents, 10 are either Max. length of runway: 10,500 ft. This influx of flyers has prompted planning or undergoing upgrades or Largest plane to ever land: Antonov Mriya 225 the St. John’s International Airport expansions. “Air passenger traffic No. of passengers 2014: 145,000 Ongoing or planned renovations: $2 million to undergo a major expansion, has grown by 22 per cent in the renovation and parking lot expansion in 2015; more than doubling their size and last decade in Atlantic Canada. Our working towards new terminal building. capacity by 2020. “They’re really airport infrastructure needs to be building a better gateway to their continually expanded.” Deer Lake Regional Airport Distance to city/town: 5 km, 7 minutes to Deer Lake; 50 km, 30 minutes to Corner Brook Flies to 9 destinations Number of runways: 1 Max. length of runway: 8,005 ft. Largest plane to ever land: Boeing 757 No. of passengers 2014: 336,789 Ongoing or planned renovations: Long-term parking expanded.

Goose Bay Airport Distance to city/town: Located within the Town of Happy Valley Goose Bay Flies to 15 destinations Number of runways: 2 Max. length of runway: 11,046 ft. Largest plane to ever land: Antonov 225 No. of passengers 2014: 160,000 Ongoing or planned renovations: Mobile workforce distribution centre is under construction and will add a further 11,000 square feet to terminal facilities. The St. John’s International Airport features live music on a St. John’s International Airport seasonal basis, hosting concerts Distance to city/town: 8 kilometres, 15 minutes during Christmas and the Flies to 12 destinations summer. Entertaining travellers Number of runways: 3 are (top left, moving clockwise) Max. length of runway: 8,500 ft. musicians Julia Bowdring, Largest plane to ever land: Antonov or C5 Galaxy Kat McLevey and the Walsh No. of passengers 2014: 1,600,000 brothers. Photos courtesy SJIA Ongoing or planned renovations: $245M expansion and improvement plan – terminal size will more than double by 2020; airfield accessibility will increase to 99 per cent by implementing Cat III technology to help planes land in low visibility conditions; and will be the only airport in Canada with less than 10 million annual passengers to have a CAT III ILS.

Stephenville Airport Distance to city/town: 3 km, 5 minutes Flies to 6 destinations Number of runways: 2 Max. length of runway: 10,000 ft. Largest plane to ever land: unknown No. of passengers 2014: 90,000 Ongoing or planned renovations: none

74 Atlantic Business Magazine | September/October 2015 DID YOU KNOW Close to 100 commercial aircraft land at St. John’s International Airport every year for medical or mechanical reasons due to its location (most easterly airport in North America)

More space for local talent Despite going through extensive renovations, St. John’s International Make your next meeting one to remember. Airport (SJIA) entertains travellers With Hotels and Resorts located in Yarmouth, Moncton, Miramichi and ve locations on Prince Edward with live performances from local Island, we invite your group to experience true maritime hospitality delivered by our meeting musicians during peak seasons, professionals. From a small day meeting at the downtown Rodd Moncton, to a large conference at the hosting both a summer and a historic Rodd Charlottetown, Rodd Hotels & Resorts have a wide range of facilities to meet your needs. Christmas concert series each year. Looking for a truly memorable experience? Imagine your group on the beach, the waves “It’s an opportunity to showcase the crashing in, fresh seafood being steamed in a seaweed pit on the sand, the oysters shucked tremendous local talent that exists by a colorful entertainer and wrapping up your evening around a crackling bon re. in our community, while at the same Call one of our meeting professionals today for details. time entertaining passengers and greeters at our airport,” says Marie Prince Edward Island • Nova Scotia • New Brunswick Manning, director of marketing and 1.800.565.RODD(7633) • www.roddhotelsandresorts.com business development at SJIA. She says the live music brings a local flavour to the airport and has been very well received by travellers and the community. “The entertainment is a pleasant distraction from travelling, which can often be stressful.” Manning hopes the current airport expansion will allow SJIA to showcase even more local culture. “We are still in the planning stage. However, our focus on expressing a local flavour and looking for ways to reach out to our community will continue going forward as we expand our facilities. The larger and less space-constrained terminal building will allow us to do more.”

Art at the airport In New Brunswick, the Saint John Airport delivers community flair through local art exhibits. The ‘Art at the Airport’ program features photography, paintings, sculptures, woodwork, pottery and even a student artwork area showcasing the work from Loch Lomond School. Angela McLean, vice president of operations at the Saint John Airport, says community involvement and

atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business Magazine 75 Don’t just dream it. Do it. DID YOU KNOW Halifax Stanfi eld International Airport contributes $1.29 billion to Nova Scotia’s economy

creating a welcoming atmosphere is important. “We like to think of ourselves as a bit of a welcoming committee for Saint John — for people travelling back home from a holiday or business trip, or for visitors coming to our region. And we don’t take this responsibility lightly. We want people to feel at home when they arrive at the Airport.” The Art at the Airport program has been beneficial to both travellers and community members. “Knowing that Saint John is a community that embraces the arts, we’ve helped bring that value to life at the airport through the addition of a local art program for all travellers and employees to enjoy,” says McLean.

On the horizon Back at Halifax Stanfield, Cheryl walks along with her long list of arrivals in hand (soon to be 30 per cent longer). Her intricate knowledge of the place is apparent. New Brunswick’s Saint John She knows the ins and outs Airport showcases its local community through art exhibits, of customs and security; what everything from photography souvenirs can be found at which to sculpture, woodworking stores; what time the next transit to jewellery. Shown here is bus is arriving and so much more. artwork by (directly above, moving clockwise): Darren She and the rest of the Tartan Team Byers (sculptor); Andrew Giffi n are proof that an airport can grow (photographer); Michael McGuay substantially, but still be unique (sculptor); Arnold Werner and personable. This is a relatively (woodworking); Nicholas small airport compared to others McCraig (glass). Photos courtesy Saint John Airport around the world, Cheryl says, but people still need guidance. With that, she walks away into the bustling crowd, nodding her head left, then right, greeting each Ask how I can get you there. passing traveller and bringing a much needed smile to their faces. • Karl Chafe, Travel Advisor FEEDBACK * [email protected] TakeMeAwayTPI.ca a @AtlanticBus; @ABM_Editor; @emsollows #AirForce 709-237-TRIP (8747) [email protected] 76 Atlantic Business Magazine | September/October 2015