Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

A refuelling crew takes care of a Calm Air plane while cargo workers unload a First Air jet during the midday rush at the Rankin Inlet airport this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

RANKIN INLET
Work has begun to ease the glut of air traffic the Rankin Inlet airport has been dealing with for the past three years during its prime hours of operation.

But it's not going to happen overnight.

Shawn Maley, director of Nunavut Airports, said phase one was awarded to Inukshuk Construction.

He said it's hoped the majority of the work in phase one will be completed before the annual freeze hits.

"The plan is for phase one to include all the hauling, placing and compaction of gravel, as well as the covering insulation and general site work to prepare the apron and taxiway for paving next year," said Maley.

"The apron will be a bit more than twice its current size when work is completed."

Maley said the new taxiway will be a big help to the Rankin airport.

He said right now the facility only has one main taxiway and, with no push-back equipment, enough room must be left for aircraft to turn around.

"That takes up a lot of room, especially with the jets.

"We'll be able to flow traffic with the new taxiway, which means we're gaining space with both it and the apron.

"We currently have our main taxiway, Alpha - the one everybody's used to coming into the airport on - taxiway Bravo over towards the FOL site, and then this one will be taxiway Charlie at the other end of the runway.

"But we'll still just have the one runway for takeoffs and landings."

The $27-million project comes from the federal government's Building Canada Fund and, if it comes in under budget, the remaining money would be used on the terminal building.

Airline traffic began piling up at the Rankin airport about three years ago, reaching a critical point a year later and forcing the Government of Nunavut to take action.

Maley said the airport operates beyond its capacity from noon to 3 p.m.

He said a restriction was put in place to only allow approved aircraft with current schedules to land and take off during that time.

"There's no more than 10 aircraft allowed at any one time.

"And we have 10 aircraft on the ramp during our peak time, which leaves absolutely no room to put another one in there.

"Based on current predictions, we'll have more room than we'll ever need once phase two is complete."

Maley said although stretched to its limit, the operational procedure used during the past few years has been safe.

He said that was the reason for implementing a parking plan, which specifies who comes in, where they park and the rules associated with their parking.

"We need to be cognizant of jet wash, for example, which is why we have the bus bring some passengers to the terminal now.

"We sat down with the airlines at the time, discussed the problem and worked together to come up with a parking plan to solve it.

"So the airlines were our partners in developing the plan, and they co-operated voluntarily to restrict scheduling times so only those aircraft would be in here.

"The airlines are in the same business as us, so it benefitted them to be a part of the process and they have been in a big way."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.