Unclear when airport upgrades will begin
Upgrades tied to airport landing fee that kicked in on Canada Day
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As new airport landing fees go into effect at the Yellowknife Airport, it is still unclear exactly when plans for upgrades to the facility will be put into action.
This apparently abandoned vehicle was first seen at Yellowknife Airport in December. It was removed last month after Yellowknifer drew it to the attention of Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
The territorial government has taken out advertisements and erected signs telling the public renovations and improvements are on the way. However, Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann has not said when improvements will begin.
The upgrades are part of a five-year business plan, which is being described by the GNWT's infrastructure department as the most significant plan since the airport's control was transferred from the federal government to the territory.
The goal is to make the airport self sustaining rather than subsidized by the government, as it has been for decades.
Schumann said getting passengers through check-in quicker is a main goal, adding the first step to accomplishing that will be self-check in kiosks, commonplace in larger airports.
"That's going to change it up for a lot of people, especially if you don't have to check bags. Even if you do have bags, at least you can check in and then go do your bag drop. It makes things a lot easier," Schumann said.
"The new security screening facility - as we all know that's been kind of a challenge, especially with the amount of area that's available," said Schumann.
"We're doing some designing around how we can make a bigger area available for that and get the feds to put another line in there and get rid of the congestion."
Security for airplane passengers is done by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. It is not entirely clear what steps would need to be taken for that agency to install a second security line.
One improvement that already took place in the spring is a take-out restaurant on the other side of security. Javaroma is now set up in the waiting area for passengers who have cleared security. Previously, there were only vending machines available to passengers once they had gone through the security line.
Schumann said check-in computer terminals will also become interchangeable. That means bigger, busier airlines will be able to use terminals normally set aside for smaller airlines at times when they don't have flights departing or landing.
Schumann said another upgrade the air-travelling public had called for was a business centre.
"It's going to have new phone-charging stations (and) upgraded WI-FI capabilities. Passengers including mine staff will be able to go there and increase their productivity while they are sitting there waiting."
Schumann said an actual start date for these projects has yet to be determined, but added he hopes passengers understand short-term pain while work is underway will lead to long-term gain.
"I can't give you the exact date because I don't know. As far as inconveniences go, I don't think ... that there will be too many inconveniences," Schumann said. "We'll have to accommodate the loading of the planes and going through screening as we start changing around the building."
In addition to interior upgrades, the parking lot will include about a dozen extra spaces for public parking as rental car companies move their vehicles to a nearby parking lot.
Upgrades to the airport's de-icing equipment and process is also under way, which Schumann said will help with flight delays. He said he is cautiously optimistic de-icing improvements will begin before snow flies in the fall.
"(My flight) was delayed because the (de-icing) battery was dead and we ended up sitting there for an hour," he recalled.
"We're developing a tender to complete the design work around improving the de-icing - that was one of the big issues we wanted to address right away because of flight delays."
Schumann characterised the airport improvement initiative as one of the better ones he has seen introduced by the 18th legislative assembly.
"It's going to make the airport a very big economic charger for the NWT."
Although he would not say whether the planned airport improvements could have happened without the new landing fees, he said it was always going to be difficult to find funding for the project when it had to compete with other financial demands for areas like health and education.
The landing fees, which kicked in July 1, will see $20 added to a ticket for people flying south from Yellowknife and $10 for those headed North of the city.
