Vancouver International Airport

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Vancouver International Airport

IATA: YVR - ICAO: CYVR
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Vancouver International Airport Authority
Serves Vancouver, British Columbia
Elevation AMSL 14 ft (4 m)
Coordinates 49°11′38″N, 123°11′04″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08L/26R 9,940 3,029 Concrete
08R/26L 11,500 3,505 Asphalt/Concrete
12/30 7,300 2,225 Asphalt/Concrete
26A 3,500 1,066 Concrete
Statistics (2005)
Number of passengers 16,418,883
Aircraft movements 322,986

Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR, ICAO: CYVR) is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about 15 kilometres driving distance from downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada, behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to Asia, Europe, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other airports within Canada. In 2004, 15.7 million passengers went through the airport, and in 2005 it served over 16.4 million.

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

The Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian Airports that have U.S. border preclearance facilities.

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.

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.

Vancouver International 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 2.4 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.

Contents

[edit] Operation Yellow Ribbon

YVR during Operation Yellow Ribbon.
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YVR during Operation Yellow Ribbon.
Main article: 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-15's 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.[1]

[edit] Architecture

An aboriginal wood sculpture, located on the first floor of the domestic terminal.
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An aboriginal wood sculpture, located on the first floor of the domestic terminal.
International arrivals hall
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International arrivals hall

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Interior of the domestic terminal's check-in area for Air Canada.
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Interior of the domestic terminal's check-in area for Air Canada.

[edit] Domestic terminal

Gates A1-A9, B11-B22, and C32-C52

  • Air Canada (Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montréal, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto-Pearson, Victoria, Winnipeg)
    • Air Canada Jazz (Calgary, Campbell River, Castlegar, Comox, Cranbrook, Edmonton, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Regina, Sandspit, Saskatoon, Smithers, Terrace, Victoria, Whitehorse)
  • Air North (Whitehorse)
  • Central Mountain Air (Campbell River, Comox, Kamloops, Kelowna, Quesnel, Williams Lake)
  • Harmony Airways (Calgary, Toronto-Pearson)
  • Skyservice (Bahias de Huatulco, Cancun, Liberia, Mazatlan, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San Jose Del Cabo, Toronto-Pearson, Varadero)
  • Sunwing Airlines (Halifax, London (ON))
  • WestJet (Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Honolulu, Kahului, Kelowna, Los Angeles, Manzanillo, Montréal, Ottawa, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Prince George, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, Saskatoon, Toronto-Pearson, Winnipeg)

[edit] International terminal

International departures hall.
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International departures hall.

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

[edit] 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, Whistler)
  • Kelowna Flightcraft (Masset, Sandspit, Kelowna)
  • KD Air (Qualicum Beach)
  • Northern Thunderbird Air (Smithers, Mackenzie, Prince George)
  • Pacific Coastal Airlines (Anahim Lake, Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, 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 (Victoria/Inner Harbour)

[edit] Cargo only carriers

[edit] FBOs

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

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ . "2001 Annual Report" (PDF). Vancouver International Airport Authority. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.

[edit] External links

Airports in Canada
Airports in the National Airports System:
| Calgary | Charlottetown | Edmonton | Fredericton | Gander | Halifax | Iqaluit | Kelowna | London | Moncton | Montréal-Mirabel | Montréal-Trudeau | Ottawa | Prince George | Québec | Regina | Saint John | St. John's | Saskatoon | Thunder Bay | Toronto | Vancouver | Victoria | Whitehorse | Winnipeg | Yellowknife |
Regional/Local Airports
| Alberta | British Columbia | Manitoba | New Brunswick | Newfoundland and Labrador | Northwest Territories |
| Nova Scotia | Nunavut | Ontario | Prince Edward Island | Quebec | Saskatchewan | Yukon |
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