Charlottetown Airport

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Charlottetown Airport[1]
IATA: YYG – ICAO: CYYG
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Transport Canada[2]
Operator Charlottetown Airport Authority
Serves Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Location Sherwood, Prince Edward Island
Elevation AMSL 160 ft / 49 m
Coordinates 46°17′24″N, 063°07′16″W
Website www.flypei.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
03/21 7,000 2,134 Asphalt
10/28 5,000 1,524 Asphalt

For the airport in Newfoundland and Labrador see Charlottetown Airport

Charlottetown Airport, (IATA: YYG, ICAO: CYYG), is located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The airport is currently run by the Charlottetown Airport Authority. In 2004, it was the 36th busiest Canadian airport by aircraft movements (14,899 movements total).

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Upton Field

The first aircraft to operate in the Charlottetown area was one that landed at the exhibition grounds east of the city's central business district in 1912; it was not until 1931 that a permanent airfield was built. The first facility was known as Upton Field (later Upton Airport) and consisted of two turf runways 2800 ft. and 1600 ft. respectively, opening on January 16, 1932. Upton was a farming community located in the western part of Queens Royalty, northwest of the city proper. The airfield was leased to Canadian Airways Limited from October 9, 1932 to October 9, 1938, although the airfield was only licensed until June 30, 1938. Throughout this time, Upton Airport received the first air mail service in Canada. Today the site is occupied by a small subdivision.

[edit] Municipal ownership and operation

In June 1938 the city government asked the Department of Transport to assist in the development of an expanded municipal airport. Upton Airport was considered a candidate, as was a 300 acre property east of Sherwood Station on the Brackley Point Road. Upton Airport was rejected due to lack of space and the Sherwood Station property in the central part of Charlottetown Royalty was purchased by the city government for $30,000. The provincial government contributed 50% to the development of the new airport in exchange for 50% of its profits while the city would operate it.

[edit] Military operation

Main article: RCAF Station Charlottetown

In December 1939 the city government offerred the airport to the federal government for military use through the duration of World War II. The Royal Canadian Air Force expanded the airport and enlarged the runways in preparation for using the airport to train pilots and aircrew. The runways were altered into a classic triangle configuration seen with most British Commonwealth Air Training Plan aerodromes across Canada. The Royal Air Force used the airfield from June 15, 1941 until February 1944 during which time it was known as RAF Station Charlottetown. Following the departure of the RAF, the RCAF established training units at the airfield, which was renamed RCAF Station Charlottetown.

[edit] Federal ownership and operation

Following the end of World War II, the military presence at the airport diminished by late 1945 and the base was decommissioned and transferred from the RCAF to the federal Department of Transport on February 1, 1946, returning the airfield to civilian use.

Several expansions were subsequently undertaken, including an enlarged civilian air terminal off the Brackley Point Road on the west side of the airfield, as well as a lengthening and realigning of what would become runway 03/21 during the 1960s-1970s to accommodate jet aircraft. A major expansion during the 1980s saw the old terminal become a general aviation facility after a new terminal, control tower and emergency services building were constructed further to the north from a continuation of the Sherwood Road. This also saw runway 03/21 lengthened to its current configuration.

[edit] Charlottetown Airport Authority

On February 28, 1999 the Department of Transport transferred operational and financial responsibility for the Charlottetown Airport to the Charlottetown Airport Authority Inc. under a 60-year lease arrangement; the federal government through DOT remains the owner of the property.

Since the turn of the millennium, and especially since the mid-2000s, Charelottetown Airport has seen a great increase in flights. The trend started when Air Canada introduced non-stop flights to Montreal-Trudeau Airport from Charelottetown after the acquisition of Canadian Airlines. Later, JetsGo, a now defunct low-cost Canadian carrier, also introduced non-stop flights to Charelottetown. Although the flights didn't last long as JetsGo shut down in March 2005, WestJet has since added daily non-stop flights to Montreal during the summer. Furthermore, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have also recently added flights to Charelottetown from Boston and Detroit respectively.

The airport is currently starting work on a new customs hall, to help process passengers from international flights and help market the airport for new flights. The hall is slated to be complete for the first Sunwing Airlines flight from Punta Cana in March 2007. The airport recorded record traffic levels in 2006, with 225,400 passengers using the airport; a 45% increase over 2002.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Runways

Charlottetown Airport has 2 runways, 03-21 (ILS equipped) and 10-28 which are 7000 and 5000 feet (2100 and 1500 m) long respectively.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 March 2007 to 0901Z 10 May 2007.
  2. ^ Airport Divestiture Status Report

[edit] External links

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