Victoria International Airport

Victoria International Airport (IATA: YYJ, ICAO: CYYJ) serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is 22 km (14 mi) north of the city, in North Saanich, quite close to the town of Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula. The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority.

Like most airports that are run by local authorities in Canada, Victoria International Airport charges an Airport Improvement Fee for each outgoing passenger.

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 450 passengers, when unloaded from the aircraft in stages, or 150 normally.^[2]

In 2007, YYJ served 1,481,606^[4] passengers and had 167,771^[3] aircraft movements making it one of Canada's busiest airports in terms of passengers. It was British Columbia's second busiest airport in terms of passengers, and fourth in terms of aircraft movements. The link to Vancouver International Airport is Canada's busiest air route by the number of weekly flights.^[5]

History

The airport started in 1914 as a grass strip, and was used as a military training base.^[6] The airport is located beside Patricia Bay, which, due to the prevalence of flying boats at the time, proved to be an excellent location. The Department of Transport took over the airport in 1948. It was then called Victoria (Patricia Bay) Airport, and many locals still refer to it as the "Pat Bay Airport." Trans-Canada Airlines (later Air Canada) began regular service in 1943.

The last of the Royal Canadian Air Force forces left the airport in 1952, but 443 Helicopter Squadron of Canadian Forces Air Command began operating CH-124 Sea King ship-borne anti-submarine helicopters from Victoria International Airport (which the military refers to as Patricia Bay) in the late 1980s.

In 1959, the airport was renamed to its present name of the Victoria International Airport.

In 1997, as part of a broad scale restructuring of airports across Canada, Transport Canada (formerly the Department of Transport), gave operational control of the airport to the Victoria Airport Authority.

In 2000, the Airport Authority began the process of renovating and expanding the terminal to meet passenger needs. In 2002, the new Airside holdroom was built, as well as a new Arrivals Rotunda. By 2005, the new Departures area was completed, and the airport terminal had changed dramatically from how it was at the turn of the millennium.

In May 2005, the federal government, which owns the land, announced a reduction in the rent paid by the Airport Authority. This will save $0.6 million Canadian each year and $12 million CAD over the life of the lease, which is 50 years.

Plans

Year 1-5

• Full Parallel Taxiway E to Runway 09-27.
• New taxiway exit from Runway 09 to Taxiway S.
• New maintenance facility and fire hall on the west side of the airport.
• First phase of Apron IV expansion to accommodate interim demand.
• Extend approach lighting on Runway 27 by 320 metres.
• Additional Terminal Building public parking.
• Construct a bicycle/walking path around the parameter of the airport property.
• Add two new passenger loading bridges.

Year 6-10

• Upgrading of approach lighting on Runway 09.
• Decommission Taxiway D.
• Apron IV expansion to the north.
• New taxiway from Apron IV to Runway 02-20.
• Construct a new General Aviation taxiway.
• Construct road access from Mills Road.
• Realign Willingdon Road to accommodate additional Terminal Building parking.
• First phase of Terminal expansion (upper level hold room and two additional loading bridges.

Year 11-20

• New Canadian Customs and U.S. Pre-Clearance facilities.
• North Concourse Terminal expansion.
• Construct a car parking structure.
• A 427 metre (1,400 foot) runway expansion of Runway 09-27.

Airlines and destinations

Departures Terminal, Victoria International Airport

• Air Canada (Vancouver, Toronto-Pearson)
  • Air Canada Jazz (Vancouver, Calgary)
• Airspeed Aviation (Abbotsford)
• Air Transat (Manzanillo [Seasonal])
• Alaska Airlines
  • Horizon Air (Seattle/Tacoma)
• Alpha Executive Air (Boundary Bay)
• Orca Airways (Vancouver-South)
• Pacific Coastal Airlines (Vancouver-South)
• Sunwing Airlines (Toronto-Pearson [Seasonal], Cancún operated by Aeroméxico [Seasonal])
• United Airlines
  • United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines (San Francisco)
• WestJet (Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Las Vegas [Seasonal], Toronto-Pearson [Seasonal])

Cargo Airlines

• FedEx Express
  • Morningstar Air Express (Vancouver)
• Purolator (Vancouver)

Flight Training

There are several organizations that offer flight training at the airport

• Victoria Flying Club
• Pacific Sky Aviation (Formerly Juan Air)
• Island Pacific Flight Academy

Transportation to the airport

Victoria International Airport is served by BC Transit routes 79 and 83. There is also direct shuttle bus service to Victoria run by a local business and taxi services. By car, the airport is a thirty minute drive from downtown Victoria via Highway 17 northbound; this would vary with different traffic conditions, especially on Highway 17 (Patricia Bay Highway).

See also

• CanWest Flight Services
• Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome
• Victoria Inner Harbour Airport

References

External links

• Victoria International Airport
• 443 Squadron History
• Page about this airport on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory
• Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Victoria International Airport from NAV CANADA as available.