Expansion
While the airport has relatively little passenger traffic, it is, as of 2010, the 20th busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements, and underwent a major expansion in 2003. Starting in 2008, the airport started expanding again to accommodate larger aircraft on the aprons and taxiways, this includes widening the main apron 3, expanding apron 2 into apron 3, new widened taxiway alpha and Charlie taxiway off apron 2 to runway 08, and approach lighting on runway 26. In 2010, Taxiway Charlie was widened to prepare for a new development area called "LL4." A new General Manager recruited from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Chris Wood, was appointed in September 2009.
Currently, there are four commercial airlines serving the area (three year round, one seasonal): WestJet to Calgary, Bearskin Airlines to Ottawa, American Eagle to Chicago and Sunwing Airlines to Punta Cana. Mesaba Airlines, a Northwest Airlines affiliate suspended service service to Detroit in June 2009.
As of late 2005, major vacation charters (primarily to the Caribbean) have begun to operate during their peak season.
On 17 January 2007, Westjet announced new daily seasonal flights to Calgary started on 14 May 2007. On 27 June 2007, WestJet announced that the flights to Calgary would go year-round.
On 1 October 2007, Bearskin Airlines started daily non-stop flights to Ottawa.
On 17 December 2009, WestJet announced new daily seasonal flights to Vancouver as part of WestJet's enhanced summer schedule for 2010. However, the Vancouver flights did not return to YKF for 2011.
On 22 March 2011, Bearskin Airlines announced daily flight to Montreal beginning on May 1, 2011.
On December 13, 2011 American Airlines announced new daily nonstop flights to Chicago beginning on June 14, 2012, the airport's first destination to the United States since 2009. The service will be operated by American Eagle Airlines, using the Embraer 145 jet.
As of September 2012, Bearskin Airlines has terminated service to Montreal. Service to Ottawa with connections to/from Northern Ontario is still being offered.
Read more about this topic: Region Of Waterloo International Airport
Famous quotes containing the word expansion:
“The fundamental steps of expansion that will open a person, over time, to the full flowering of his or her individuality are the same for both genders. But men and women are rarely in the same place struggling with the same questions at the same age.”
—Gail Sheehy (20th century)
“We are caught up Mr. Perry on a great wave whether we will or no, a great wave of expansion and progress. All these mechanical inventions—telephones, electricity, steel bridges, horseless vehicles—they are all leading somewhere. It’s up to us to be on the inside in the forefront of progress.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“Artistic genius is an expansion of monkey imitativeness.”
—W. Winwood Reade (1838–1875)