Tour of new airport terminal
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, August 22, 2016
IQALUIT
Government of Nunavut project manager Barry Reimer took the press on a tour of the $300-million Iqaluit International Airport project Aug. 16.
The two-hour tour was spent largely in a school bus on the airfield, with special attention to improvements which have nothing to do with the new and expansive terminal.
"A lot of attention has been paid to the terminal," said Reimer. "But it's not necessarily the heart of the project. Half of the budget is airfield improvement."
Improvements mean the international airport will be roomier, safer and brought up to date with regard to energy efficiency and environmental protection.
That includes expanded aprons for aircraft to park, three new taxiways, new lighting systems and a new combined services building, which will house maintenance vehicles and act as a fire hall.
Iqaluit airport manager John Hawkins said it takes a water tanker up to 40 minutes to refill offsite with the current system.
"We'll have two active fire trucks designed for rapid intervention," he said. "They will have direct access to airport aprons and runways. It will greatly speed up the process. It will take a couple of minutes rather than over half an hour."
An environmentally unsound underground piped refueling system will be replaced with an above-ground system, with fuel trucked directly to waiting planes - increasing safety and efficiency. The entire airfield will see a final overlay of asphalt next summer.
A new commercial area west of the airfield will allow for new hangars, with the potential for new air carriers.
As for the terminal, it will have all the amenities air travellers expect at international airports. There is space for a restaurant and gift shop, a two-line security area, five gates, including one which can segregate international travellers, counter space for 16 ticket and baggage agents, and several bathrooms, including bathrooms for passengers who have gone through security.
The old terminal will receive a retrofit and serve as an administration building and control tower.
The new terminal, set to open in August 2017, is expected to have a 30- to 50-year life span.
- Michele LeTourneau
