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'Vancouver International Airport' is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about 15 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements, behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to Asia, Europe, Oceania, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other airports within Canada. The airport has won several notable international "best airport" awards, and it won the Skytrax "Best North American Airport" award in 2007.^[5] YVR also retains the distinction of "Best Canadian Airport" in the regional results.^[6] In 2006, Vancouver International, saw 16.9 million passengers⁴ and 332,307 movements³. It is an Air Canada hub as well as a focus city for WestJet.
The Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian Airports that have U.S. border preclearance facilities.

Contents

Gateway

Terminals

Cost

Architecture

Future expansion

Operation Yellow Ribbon

Airlines and destinations

Domestic terminal

International Terminal

South terminal

Cargo only carriers

FBOs

See also

References

External links

Gateway

Vancouver Airport Authority has built a reputation as a premier gateway airport between Asia and North America. It is the closest major North American airport to Asia on the great circle routes which saves air carriers and passengers time. Although metropolitan Vancouver has a population of about 2.6 million, YVR boasts more non-stop service to Asia relative to size of local population than any other airport in North America. This is because of the close family and business ties between Vancouver and Asia and the success of the Authority, together with air carriers, in building a connecting hub or gateway between North America and Asia. The result is that Vancouver is better connected to the world than would otherwise be the case.

Terminals

Vancouver International Airport has three terminals: The domestic terminal, which was constructed in 1968 and recently given a top-to-bottom renovation; the International Terminal, which was newly constructed in the early 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.

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.

Future expansion

By November 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Canada Line, a rapid transit line running from Richmond to the airport to downtown Vancouver, will be completed, for which Vancouver International Airport is contributing up to $300 million. 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. 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 will see four new gates with two conventional wide-bodied gates and two able to accommodate the Airbus A380. The international terminal addition will have several examples of beauty in British Columbia, including a stream in a proposed pathway and fish and jellyfish tanks.
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

Main articles: 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. One of the aircraft diverted was an Air China 747 from Beijing to San Francisco, escorted by two U.S. F-15s onto the airport's north runway, apparently due to a communication problem.
The airport won the 2001 Airport Management Award from the B.C. Aviation Council and was cited for overcoming many challenges in a professional and compassionate way.^[7]

Airlines and destinations

Domestic terminal

Gates A1-A5, B11-B22, and C32-C52

★ Air Canada (Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montréal, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto-Pearson, Victoria, Winnipeg)

★
★ Air Canada Jazz (Calgary, Castlegar, Comox, Cranbrook, Edmonton, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Regina, Sandspit, Saskatoon, Smithers, Terrace, Victoria, Whitehorse, Yellowknife [seasonal, starts December 1, 2007])

★ Air North (Whitehorse)

★ Central Mountain Air (Campbell River, Comox, Dawson Creek, Kelowna, Quesnel, Williams Lake)

★ Skyservice (Toronto-Pearson)

★ Sunwing Airlines (Halifax, Montréal, London (ON))^[8]

★ WestJet (Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montréal, Ottawa, Prince George, Toronto-Pearson, Winnipeg)

International Terminal

Gates D50-D77 and E69-E96 (Gates E69-E96 are for flights going to the United States)

★ Air Canada (Anchorage, Beijing, Cancun, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo [seasonal; begins December 22], Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Osaka-Kansai, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San Francisco, San Jose del Cabo [seasonal; begins December 21], Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita)

★
★ Air Canada Jazz (Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma)

★ Air China (Beijing)

★ Air India (Amritsar, Delhi) [begins late 2007/early 2008] [1]

★ Air New Zealand (Auckland) [begins November 2] [2]

★ Air Pacific (Honolulu, Nadi)

★ Air Transat (Amsterdam, Cancun, Frankfurt, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK), Munich, Paris-Charles De Gaulle [begins May 29, 2008], Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Samana, Varadero)

★ Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma)

★
★ Horizon Air (Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma)

★ American Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare [seasonal], Dallas/Fort Worth)

★ Belair (Zürich [seasonal])

★ British Airways (London-Heathrow)

★ Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong, New York-JFK [departs from International gates])

★ China Airlines (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)

★ China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)

★ Condor Airlines (Frankfurt [seasonal])

★ Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark [seasonal])

★ Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Los Angeles)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (Salt Lake City)

★ EVA Air (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)

★ Flyglobespan (Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK)) [seasonal]

★ Frontier Airlines (Denver)

★ Japan Airlines (Mexico City, Tokyo-Narita)

★ KLM (Amsterdam)

★ Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon)

★ LTU (Düsseldorf, Munich)

★ Lufthansa (Frankfurt)

★ Martinair (Amsterdam [seasonal])

★ Metis TransPacific (Macau, Petropavlovsk (Tech Stop only)) [begins September 14] [3][4]

★ Mexicana (Mexico City)

★ MyTravel Airways (Glasgow-International [seasonal], London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK) [seasonal])

★ Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul) [seasonal]

★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) [begins October 15]

★ Oasis Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong)

★ Philippine Airlines (Las Vegas, Manila)

★ Qantas (Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney) [seasonal]

★ Singapore Airlines (Seoul-Incheon, Singapore)

★ Skyservice (Bahias de Huatulco, Cancun, Liberia, Mazatlan, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San Jose Del Cabo, Varadero)

★ Thomas Cook Airlines (London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK)) [seasonal]

★ United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco, Washington-Dulles)

★
★ United Express operated by SkyWest (Los Angeles)

★ US Airways

★
★ US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Phoenix)

★ WestJet (Honolulu [seasonal], Kahului [seasonal], Kona [begins January 13, 2008], Las Vegas, Palm Springs [seasonal], San Jose del Cabo [begins December 22])[5]

★ Zoom Airlines (Belfast-International [seasonal], Cardiff, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK), Paris-Charles De Gaulle [seasonal])

South terminal

★ Amigo Airways (Nanaimo)

★ Baxter Aviation (Nanaimo)

★ Harbour Air (Ganges Harbour, Montague Harbour, Miners Bay, Lyall Harbour, Bedwell Harbour, Victoria/Inner Harbour, Nanaimo Harbour)

★ Hawkair (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Grand Prairie, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Victoria (BC))

★ HeliJet (Victoria/Inner Harbour)

★ Howe Sound Seaplanes (Victoria)

★ Kelowna Flightcraft (Masset, Sandspit, Kelowna)

★ KD Air (Qualicum Beach)

★ Northern Thunderbird Air (Smithers, Mackenzie, Prince George)

★ Orca Airways (Tofino)

★ Pacific Coastal Airlines (Anahim Lake, Calgary [Begins September 10, 2007], Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Penticton [Begins September 10, 2007], Port Hardy, Powell River, Trail, Victoria (BC), Williams Lake)

★ Regency North Vancouver Air (Tofino)

★ Saltspring Air (Ganges Harbour, Maple Bay)

★ Seair Seaplanes (Ganges Harbour, Montague Harbour, Miners Bay, Lyall Harbour, Port Washington, Telegraph Harbour, Nanaimo/Departure Bay)

★ Swanberg Air (Grande Prairie)

★ Tofino Air (Silva Bay, Sechelt)

★ West Coast Air (Nanaimo, Sechelt, Victoria/Inner Harbour)

Cargo only carriers

★ Cargojet Airways (Calgary, Winnipeg)

★ Cathay Pacific (Anchorage, Hong Kong, Los Angeles)

★ Empire Airlines (Oakland)

★ FedEx Express (Memphis, Spokane)

★ Kelowna Flightcraft (Calgary, Kamloops, Victoria, Winnipeg)

★ Morningstar Air Express (Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto-Pearson, Montréal, Moncton, Halifax, Victoria)

★ United Parcel Service (Seattle-Boeing Field)

★ Purolator

★ DHL

FBOs

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

★ CHC Helicopter

★ Esso Avitat (ExxonMobil)

★ Heli-One

★ Jet Eagle

★ Million Air (Chevron Corporation)

★ Landmark Aviation, formerly Piedmont Hawthorne (Royal Dutch Shell)

★ Royal Petroleum

★ Servisair

See also

★ List of airports in the Vancouver area

★ Minoru Park

References

1.
2. Airport Divestiture Status Report
3. Transport Canada TP 1496 - Preliminary aircraft statistics 2006
4. Vancouver Passenger Statistics
5. 2007 Regional Airport Awards
6. 2006 Airport of the Year: Results
7.
8. http://www.sunwing.ca/DomesticFlights2007.asp

External links

★ Vancouver International Airport Authority

★ Vancouver International Airport page on ''Places to Fly'', the airport directory of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association

★ Vancouver International Airport Authority Union