March 28, 2024 7:32 PM

The top North American airport enhanced by major developments following a $5.6 billion expansion plan

Here’s how the Vancouver International Airport is shaping up to be North America’s best air terminal, major developments to be expected.

/ Published 5 years ago

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This rise in airline passengers has been consistent with other major Canadian airlines as well, with the vast majority being represented by domestic flights.

With initial projections predicting the highly popular airport would hit 25 million passengers by 2020, the continuous surge of enplaning and deplaning has adjusted that number to an impressive 31 million by 2022.

Strong performance

The Airport Authority’s Connect YVR program is considered as one of the main drives behind the increasing number of passengers flocking to the airport, as it has helped promote very competitive regional prices as well as expanded and increased frequency of popular travel routes such as to Mexico City and London.

The high number of passengers has helped to attract greater numbers of airlines such as Air Canada as YVR remains a top North American hub for international travel.

“We are experiencing record growth at YVR as we deliver on our mission to connect British Columbia proudly to the world and these ambitious expansion projects will further position YVR as a world-class connecting hub,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority.

Increased capacity

The success of YVR has resulted in an aggressive $5.6 billion expansion plan, which has been expanded to $9.1 billion, in order to enhance the infrastructure in over 20 years in order to cater to the needs of the ever-growing number of passengers. The funding will help add new wings for additional aircraft as well as expanded parking and ground transportation to accommodate the constant stream of traffic throughout and around the airport.

There are several Piers being built in order to expand the terminal facilities, with Pier D recently being freshly unveiled to help supply additional facilities for the influx of passengers in the YVR. With developments scheduled to be fully complete by 2020, Pier D will feature four jet bridge gates as well as four additional RSO gates.

The VYR is expanding its infrastructure to the tune of $9.1 billion. It is expected that the airport will serve 25 million passengers by 2020. (Photo by GoToVan via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.)

The facilities will also host the Gulf Island, which features real trees and various plants covered in glass but with an open roof which can help add a seasonal element to the terminal. Various dining and cuisine options will also be incorporated into Pier D to provide a variety of choices for passengers.

Following completion of Pier D, work will commence on Pier F as well as utilizing Jet Set parking grounds for an additional 10 aircraft parking spots. The expansions will be developed in the area between the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel building and the Jet Set parking lot.

Ground services

The plan also includes expansions to the airport’s Remote Stand Operations (RSO), which helps shuttle in passengers through buses that pick them up from planes that land at a distance away from a terminal. This will help increase output and ensure efficient services for passengers needing to use a shuttle to reach the airport. A dedicated section of the Jet Set parking lot will be converted into additional RSO parking spaces to increase their services.

A new RSO stand has also been completed by gates 56 and 57 in the international terminal’s ground level. To accommodate waiting passengers, the airport will also feature a 13,240 sq.ft. RSO facility that can accommodate 600 passengers as they are shuttled throughout the airport to various terminals and facilities.

Using buses to transport passengers is common in some countries, but the RSO services in the YVR features several advantages. They feature electric buses with walkway AVI ramps, which are a huge benefit for the disabled and those wielding heavy luggage. The efficient buses will help ensure that passenger traffic is expedited and smooth, with various routes to ensure that they reach their destination.

“As YVR grows, we will continue to add bussing operations because it is cost and operationally efficient—RSO stands are a quarter the price of a gate attached to the terminal and we can add it faster,” stated YVR representative Jody Armstrong. With RSO bus stands running $12 million to build, RSO expansion is a much cheaper option than building additional gates connecting to terminals for direct access, which run at $50 million.

With this development well underway, the expansion plan will help YVR accommodate the increasing number of passengers as the popular transportation hub continues to revamp its operational capacities as North America’s top airport.  

(Featured image by JamesZ_Flickr via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.)

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