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Calgary International Airport

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"Calgary Airport" redirects here. For other airports in Calgary, see List of airports in the Calgary area.

YYC Calgary International Airport
Aéroport international de Calgary YYC
YYC logo.svg
Calgary Airport overview.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerTransport Canada
OperatorCalgary Airport Authority
ServesCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Hub for
Time zoneMST (UTC−07:00)
 • Summer (DST)MDT (UTC−06:00)
Elevation AMSL3,606 ft / 1,099 m
Coordinates51°07′21″N 114°00′48″W / 51.12250°N 114.01333°W / 51.12250; -114.01333Coordinates: 51°07′21″N 114°00′48″W / 51.12250°N 114.01333°W / 51.12250; -114.01333
Websitewww.yyc.com
Map
YYC is located in Calgary
YYC
YYC
YYC is located in Alberta
YYC
YYC
YYC is located in Canada
YYC
YYC
YYC is located in North America
YYC
YYC
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 6,200 1,890 Asphalt
11/29 8,000 2,438 Asphalt
17R/35L 12,675 3,863 Asphalt
17L/35R 14,000 4,267 Concrete
Statistics (2017)
Passengers16,275,862
Cargo (tonnes)147,000

Calgary International Airport (IATA: YYC, ICAO: CYYC), branded as YYC Calgary International Airport, is an international airport that serves the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 17 km (11 mi) northeast of downtown and covers an area of 21.36 km2 (8.25 sq mi).[3] With 16.27 million passengers and 233,017 aircraft movements in 2017, Calgary International is the busiest airport in Alberta and the fourth-busiest in Canada by both measures.[4][5] The region's petroleum and tourism industries have helped foster growth at the airport, which has nonstop flights to an array of destinations in North and Central America, Europe, and Asia. YYC Calgary International is also a hub for two major Canadian airlines: Air Canada and WestJet.

Built in the late 1930s, the site has since grown to house four runways, two terminal buildings with 5 concourses for passengers, warehouses for cargo handling, and other infrastructure, the Calgary Airport Authority operates the property while paying rent to the federal government. Close to the airport is the Deerfoot Trail freeway for transport into the city, and public transit also serves the airport.

History[edit]

The first airport to serve Calgary opened in 1914, in the neighbourhood of Bowness, it occupied one square kilometre (0.39 sq mi) and consisted of a hut and a grass runway.[6][7] Operations shifted to a new airport southwest of the city in 1928, named Old Banff Coach Road Airport. However, issues with turbulence in the area prompted another airfield to be built the following year in Renfrew, this site was known as Calgary Municipal Airport.[7]

As the city of Calgary grew in the area surrounding the Renfrew airport, the city government decided to relocate operations another time, it purchased an area of land north of Calgary in 1938 for about $31,000; this is the site of the current airport. It was named McCall Field after World War I ace and lifelong Calgarian Fred McCall.[6][8] Equipped with a paved runway, the airport opened on 25 September of the following year, about two weeks after Canada entered World War II, as a result, the federal government assumed control of the site in 1940, repurposing it as a fuel and maintenance stop for aircraft involved in the war effort. Regular passenger flights continued during this period,[6][7] at the end of the war, the airport had been expanded to include additional hangars and other infrastructure.[6] City officials resumed managing the airport and repurposed the new hangars as a passenger terminal.[7] An improved terminal opened in 1956.[6][7]

Jet aircraft landed at the airport for the first time in 1961, and flights from Europe commenced the following year, the terminal received five expansions; however, the city government eventually did not have the funds to cope with rising traffic.[6][7] It proceeded to sell the site to the federal government in 1966 for $2 million, the new owner refurbished the runways and renamed the site "Calgary International Airport".[6] Eleven years later, it constructed a new terminal worth $130 million–the core of the present facility.[6][7]

The airport again came under local management in 1992 when the Calgary Airport Authority was formed, although the authority still pays rent to the federal government.[6][9] Four years later, WestJet began operations with a base at the airport, occupying an expanded area of the terminal.[7][10] Another runway was inaugurated in 2014,[11] and a new international terminal opened in 2016 at a cost of $1.6 billion, adding 24 gates.[7][12] "YYC", the IATA code for the Calgary airport, was also affixed to the airport's official name following a successful branding effort.[13]

Infrastructure[edit]

Passenger terminals[edit]

Concourse E of the new international terminal
Inside the domestic terminal
WestJet aircraft on Concourse A

The Calgary airport houses two terminals, one for domestic operations and the other for international flights, the domestic terminal itself contains three concourses labelled A, B and C; the international terminal is composed of Concourse E for United States–bound flights and Concourse D for flights to other countries.[14] Passengers travelling to the United States clear customs and immigration prior to departure at the preclearance facility.[15]

The international terminal operates under a call-to-gate system in which passengers wait in a main seating and shopping area; they then proceed to the gate once flight information is posted.[16] The two terminals are connected by both walkways and a separate path for the YYC Link service. Airport employees transport connecting passengers along this corridor in ten-seat vehicles.[12]

WestJet has criticized the design of the international terminal, which opened in 2016, the airline's CEO stated that the distance between the terminals was too long for connecting travellers and that YYC Link was insufficient to solve this problem. As a result, WestJet had to alter its schedules in order to allow additional time for passengers transiting through Calgary,[17][18] the Calgary Airport Authority responded that it did not see issues with the connections process, although it said passengers would need some time to adjust to the new facilities.[17]

Runways[edit]

The Calgary airport is equipped with four runways with the following dimensions:[1]

  • Runway 08/26 is 6,200 ft × 150 ft (1,890 m × 46 m)
  • Runway 11/29 is 8,000 ft × 200 ft (2,438 m × 61 m)
  • Runway 17R/35L is 12,675 ft × 200 ft (3,863 m × 61 m)
  • Runway 17L/35R is 14,000 ft × 200 ft (4,267 m × 61 m)

The longest runway in Canada at the time of its 2014 opening, Runway 17L/35R was built to reduce congestion and better accommodate larger, heavier aircraft: the weight of such aircraft, combined with the low air density resulting from the airport's high elevation and temperatures during the summer, means that a longer runway is necessary for take-off. Runway 17L/35R is also layered with concrete, a material more durable than the asphalt that composes the airport's other three runways.[19][20]

Cargo[edit]

The airport has allotted an extensive amount of area for cargo operations, including over 3,000,000 sq ft (280,000 m2) of warehouse space. Freight airlines such as Cargolux make regular trips to Europe, Asia, and other destinations;[21][22] in 2017, the Calgary airport handled a total of 147,000 tonnes of cargo.

Other facilities[edit]

At 91 m (299 ft), the airport's air traffic control tower was the tallest standalone control tower in Canada upon its opening in 2013; compared to the previous tower, it has space for more air traffic controllers and is situated closer to the centre of the airport, giving controllers better views of the airfield.[23] Meanwhile, the headquarters of Canadian North as well as WestJet and its subsidiary WestJet Encore are located onsite.[24][25][26] There are also two hotels on the airport property.[27]

Airlines and destinations[edit]

In 2016, airlines offered nonstop service from Calgary to various destinations in Canada as well as to 45 cities in other countries.[28] WestJet and Air Canada maintain hubs at the airport;[29][30] they were the busiest airlines in Calgary per the number of seats they offered on flights departing the city: 5,060,000 and 3,380,000, respectively. For comparison, the third-busiest airline by the same measure, United Airlines, provided 390,000 seats.[31] Ultimately, people continuing on to other destinations accounted for over 30% of total passenger traffic at YYC Calgary International.[28]

Besides connecting passengers, travellers taking part in Alberta's large oil and gas industries fuel growth at the airport, during periods of decline in these sectors of the economy, airlines such as WestJet have had to limit their flights to the city.[32][33] On the other hand, tourist attractions in the province such as Banff National Park have attracted service as well. Hainan Airlines' Calgary–Beijing route is an example.[34]

As of January 2019, the following airlines offer scheduled flights to and from Calgary:

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Aeroméxico Seasonal: Mexico City (resumes 31 May 2019)[35] [36]
Air CanadaFrankfurt, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Montréal–Trudeau, Newark, Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Seasonal: Cancún, Kahului, Palm Springs, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, Tokyo–Narita		[37]
Air Canada ExpressCastlegar, Cranbrook, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Houston–Intercontinental, Kamloops, Kelowna, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Nanaimo, Portland (OR), Regina, San Francisco, Saskatoon, Victoria, Winnipeg, Yellowknife
Seasonal: Comox, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Seattle/Tacoma		[37]
Air Canada RougeLas Vegas
Seasonal: Halifax		[38]
Air NorthEdmonton, Whitehorse[39]
Air TransatCancún, Puerto Vallarta, Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Amsterdam, London–Gatwick, Montréal–Trudeau, Vancouver		[40]
Alaska AirlinesSeattle/Tacoma[41]
American AirlinesSeasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth [42]
American EagleDallas/Fort Worth
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare 		[42]
British AirwaysSeasonal: London–Heathrow[43][44]
Central Mountain AirEdmonton, Lloydminster[45]
CondorSeasonal: Frankfurt[46]
Delta Air LinesMinneapolis/St. Paul[47]
Delta ConnectionMinneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma[47]
Edelweiss AirSeasonal: Zürich[48]
Flair AirlinesAbbotsford, Kelowna, Vancouver, Winnipeg [49]
Frontier AirlinesDenver, Las Vegas [50]
Hainan AirlinesBeijing–Capital[51]
KLMAmsterdam[52]
Northern AirPeace River, Whitecourt[53]
Sunwing AirlinesSeasonal: Cancún, Cayo Coco, Huatulco, Ixtapa–Zihuatanejo, Liberia (CR), Mazatlán, Montego Bay, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San José del Cabo, Santa Clara, Varadero[54]
United AirlinesChicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental
Seasonal: San Francisco		[55]
United ExpressChicago–O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco[55]
WestJetAbbotsford, Atlanta (begins 3 March 2019),[56] Cancún, Comox, Denver, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton (ON), Houston–Intercontinental, Kelowna, Kitchener/Waterloo, Las Vegas, London–Gatwick, London (ON), Los Angeles, Montréal–Trudeau, New York–JFK, Orlando, Ottawa, Palm Springs, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Puerto Vallarta, Regina, San Diego, San José del Cabo, Saskatoon, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg
Seasonal: Belize City, Dublin (begins 1 June 2019),[57] Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Huatulco, Ixtapa–Zihuatanejo, Kahului, Liberia (CR), Loreto, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Montego Bay, Nashville, Nassau, Paris–Charles de Gaulle (begins 17 May 2019),[57] Phoenix/Mesa, San Francisco, St. John's, Varadero, Whitehorse, Windsor, Yellowknife		[58]
WestJet EncoreAbbotsford, Brandon, Comox, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Regina, Saskatoon, Terrace/Kitimat, Vancouver, Victoria
Seasonal: Yellowknife		[58]
WestJet LinkCranbrook, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Prince George[58]

Statistics[edit]

In 2016, YYC Calgary International Airport was the fourth-busiest airport in the nation in terms of the total number of passengers that transited through the airport: about 15.7 million. Despite an ongoing recession, there was a roughly 1.3% increase over 2015.[59][60] Of the total for 2016, travellers bound for domestic destinations constituted about 71%, and people travelling to the United States and other countries amounted to 29%.[60]

In 2017, YYC Calgary International Airport was again the fourth-busiest airport in Canada in total passenger volume: about 16.3 million, a 3.8% increase, more than double from 2016. This setting another record in passenger volume, surpassing the previous record set in 2016. YYC's cargo operations grew significantly with more than 147,000 tonnes of cargo moving through the airport, an increase of 7.7 per cent from 2016.[61]

Passenger volumes for the period 2010–2017 are provided in the following table:[59][60][62]

Passenger traffic at Calgary International Airport, 2010–2017
Year Passengers Change Notes
2010 12,630,695 NA
2011 12,770,988 +1.1%
2012 13,641,339 +6.8%
2013 14,316,074 +4.9% Became third-busiest airport in Canada for the first time, ahead of Montréal–Trudeau International Airport
2014 15,261,108 +6.6%
2015 15,475,759 +1.4% Again the fourth-busiest airport in the country
2016 15,680,616 +1.3%
2017 16,275,862 +3.8%

Cargo volumes for the period 2011–2017 are provided in the following table:[63]

Cargo traffic at Calgary international airport, 2011–2017
Year Cargo (tonnes) Change Notes
2011 116,000 NA
2012 119,000 +2.6%
2013 122,000 +2.5%
2014 128,710 +5.5%
2015 134,695 +4.6%
2016 137,000 +1.7%
2017 147,000 +7.3%

Ground transportation[edit]

Deerfoot Trail provides freeway access to the rest of the city.[64] There is also a tunnel beneath Runway 17L/35R that links the east side of the airport site to the terminal buildings.[65] Two parking garages and a rental-car facility are situated across from the terminals.[14][66] Public transport options are also available at the airport: Buses operated by Calgary Transit link YYC Calgary International to downtown, a nearby station of the local CTrain light-rail network, and other parts of the city.[67][68]

Notable accidents and incidents[edit]

A West Coast Airlines flight from Spokane to Calgary via Cranbrook made a crash-landing shortly before the runway on 24 August 1963, although no one onboard was killed. A likely cause of the accident is the fact that the Fairchild F-27 was approaching the airport too low.[69]

Another incident occurred on the runway on 22 March 1984, when Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501 attempted to take-off. A component of the left engine broke off and hit the fuel stores in the wing, resulting in a fire that spread over the left and back portions of the Boeing 737-200, the pilots aborted take-off and exited the runway onto a taxiway, where flight attendants evacuated all passengers. While some suffered severe injuries, all the occupants survived.[70][71]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 8 November 2018 to 0901Z 3 January 2019.
  2. ^ Synoptic/Metstat Station Information Archived December 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ "Fact Sheet". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Passenger Statistics". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Aircraft movements, by class of operation and peak hour and peak day of movements, airports with NAV CANADA tower". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Calgary International Airport - History". Simon Fraser University. 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippel, Scott (24 October 2016). "Shiny new terminal just the latest in a long line of Calgary airports". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  8. ^ Airport history at YYC site
  9. ^ Stephenson, Amanda (7 December 2016). "Calgary airport CEO: Privatization no cure for high cost of air travel in Canada". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  10. ^ "WestJet's inspirational ascent from humble beginnings". CTV News. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  11. ^ "New Calgary runway officially open". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  12. ^ a b Baskas, Harriet (31 October 2016). "New international terminal opens at Calgary Airport". USA Today. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  13. ^ Tarasko, Mike (6 October 2016). "City airport officially named "YYC Calgary International"". 660 News. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Terminal maps" (PDF). YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  15. ^ "Preclearance locations". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  16. ^ Jarvie, Michele (31 October 2016). "Opening day flies by at new Calgary airport terminal". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  17. ^ a b Stephenson, Amanda (27 December 2016). "WestJet CEO blasts new terminal at YYC, says airport authority hasn't listened to concerns". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  18. ^ Tighe, Tony (21 December 2016). "WestJet says passengers upset with Calgary airport connection travel times". Global News. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  19. ^ Bradley, Jennifer (August 2014). "Calgary Int'l builds Canada's longest runway". Airport Improvement. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  20. ^ Stephenson, Amanda (16 June 2014). "New $600-million runway takes off at Calgary airport". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  21. ^ Parker, David (17 June 2016). "Parker: Calgary airport cargo traffic takes off". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  22. ^ Vaessen, Doug; Freeman, Jenna (22 October 2014). "Massive cargo plane touches down at YYC for first time". Global News. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  23. ^ Elliott, Tamara; Boushy, David (3 July 2013). "Look up, way up! Calgary Airport unveils new air traffic control tower". Global News. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  24. ^ Keenan, Greg (2 May 2014). "WestJet CEO sets his sights on international skies". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 3 August 2017. A distinct corporate culture that forms part of the foundation of WestJet is evident in the airy, six-storey head office at its campus at Calgary International Airport and is mission critical for Mr. Saretsky.
  25. ^ "Administration". Canadian North. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  26. ^ Elliott, Tamara (19 March 2013). "WestJet's new headquarters stay true to Calgary roots". Global News. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Onsite hotels". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  28. ^ a b Stephenson, Amanda (29 October 2016). "New international terminal to serve as Calgary's gateway to the world". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  29. ^ "Air Canada corporate profile". Air Canada. April 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  30. ^ "Profile on WestJet". CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  31. ^ "Calgary International Airport traffic doubles since 2001; Edelweiss Air and Hainan Airlines new carriers in 2016; Aeromexico coming in S17". Anna.aero. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  32. ^ Logan, Shawn (25 January 2016). "Westjet drops 11 Alberta flights because of economic downturn". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  33. ^ Cryderman, Kelly (25 January 2016). "WestJet to cut Alberta flights, shift capacity east". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  34. ^ Jenkinson, Steve (5 February 2016). "Chinese airline launches non-stop flights between Calgary and Beijing". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  35. ^ "Aeromexico returns to YYC Calgary International Airport with service to Mexico City". YYC Calgary International. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  36. ^ "TImetables". Aeroméxico.
  37. ^ a b "Flight Schedules". Air Canada.
  38. ^ "Flight Schedules". Air Canada.
  39. ^ "Flight Schedule". Air North.
  40. ^ "Air Transat Flight Status and Schedules". Flight Times. Air Transat.
  41. ^ "Flight Schedules". Alaska Airlinest.
  42. ^ a b "Flight schedules and notifications". American Airlines.
  43. ^ Bell, David (5 June 2018). "British Airways 'temporarily suspends' Calgary-London winter flights". CBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  44. ^ "Timetables". British Airways.
  45. ^ "Route Map". Central Mountain Air.
  46. ^ "Timetable". Condor Flugdienst.
  47. ^ a b "Flight Schedules". Delta Air Lines.
  48. ^ >"Timetable Updates". Edelweiss Air.
  49. ^ "Flair Airlines hits growth target". Skies Magazine. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  50. ^ "Frontier Airlines Continues to Make Flying More Affordable: Adds Another 15 Routes With Fares as low as $39". Frontier Airlines. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  51. ^ "Flight Schedules". Hainan Airlines.
  52. ^ "View the Timetable". KLM.
  53. ^ "Northern Air Scheduled Flights". Northern Air.
  54. ^ "Our Routes" (PDF). Sunwing Airlines.
  55. ^ a b "United Flight Schedules". United Airlines.
  56. ^ "WestJet to offer non-stop Atlanta service from Calgary". WestJet. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  57. ^ a b "WestJet outlines 787-9 long-haul and new Calgary – Europe service in S19". RoutesOnline. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  58. ^ a b c "Flight Schedules - when we fly". Westjet.
  59. ^ a b Stephenson, Amanda (27 January 2017). "Calgary International Airport had a record year for passenger traffic in 2016". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  60. ^ a b c "Calgary International Airport local E&D passenger statistics" (PDF). YYC Calgary International Airport. 19 July 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  61. ^ "YYC Achieves Record Passenger Volumes in 2017". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  62. ^ "Calgary International Airport local E&D passenger statistics" (PDF). YYC Calgary International Airport. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  63. ^ "Cargo Statistics". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  64. ^ Google (4 August 2017). "Calgary International Airport (YYC)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  65. ^ Ho, Clara (26 May 2014). "Traffic takes off through $295-million tunnel". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  66. ^ "Car rentals". YYC Calgary International Airport. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  67. ^ "Route 100 - Airport/McKnight Stn". Calgary Transit. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  68. ^ "Route 300 - BRT Airport/City Centre". Calgary Transit. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  69. ^ "Accident description for West Coast Airlines Flight 794". Aviation Safety Network. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  70. ^ "Accident description for Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501". Aviation Safety Network. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  71. ^ "Related accidents/incidents". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 4 August 2017.

External links[edit]

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