YVR celebrates major construction milestone of International Terminal expansion

Vancouver Airport Authority President and CEO Craig Richmond was joined by the Honourable George Chow, B.C. Minister of State for Trade; Tertius Serfontein, Senior Director, Airports – Western Canada, Air Canada; and Jason Glue, representing the Board of Directors, British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) to celebrate the steel topping.

Once complete, the expanded terminal will include an additional eight wide body gates, including four bridged gates and four remote stand operation (RSO) gates. The added gates will enable the airport to support large aircraft including the A380 which has a wingspan of 260 feet. This expansion will help YVR meet growing passenger demand, having welcomed a record 25.9 million passengers in 2018, better connecting British Columbians and local businesses to the world, while improving the airport experience.

The expansion will continue with YVR’s well-known sense of place. Passengers will experience the beauty of B.C. with a glassed-in nature feature made up of three western hemlock (tsuga heterophylla) trees. Amenities such as digital art, restaurants and bars will also reflect all that B.C. has to offer.

YVR’s operations—together with tourism and cargo—contribute more than $16 billion in total economic output, $8.4 billion in GDP and $1.4 billion in government revenue across B.C. Each new flight through YVR creates hundreds of jobs and contributes millions of dollars in economic benefit to the province.

YVR’s multi-year expansion plans are made possible due to YVR’s unique operating structure. YVR receives no government funding and all profits generated are reinvested back into the airport for the benefit of its customers, partners and communities.

To learn more about YVR’s key projects that will enhance the airport experience, visit yvr.ca/construction.

Quotes:
Craig Richmond, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority 
“YVR’s mandate is to serve our region, connecting people and products to destinations all around the world. We are able to deliver on this thanks to our unique operating model and by being a connecting hub, which encourages passengers from other parts of the world to travel through our airport. Connecting passengers create enough demand to support air services that would not otherwise be possible. This directly results in significant benefits—not only more destinations, airlines and choices for passengers but jobs and business activity for the local, provincial and national economy.”

Honourable George Chow, Minister of State for Trade
“Visitors to our province want modern and accessible transportation and Vancouver International Airport offers them a world-class experience from the moment they step off the plane. YVR also plays an important role connecting visitors to the amazing tourism experiences in all corners of our province. I know this terminal expansion will continue YVR’s award-winning reputation, support more international visitors and help build B.C.’s economy. Congratulations to everyone involved on reaching this important milestone.”

Tertius Serfontein, Senior Director, Airports – Western Canada, Air Canada
“We have strategically developed and expanded Air Canada’s international network over the last several years transforming YVR into our commercial trans-Pacific hub that efficiently connects people from our Asia, Australia, Indiaand Europe flights to and from our vast North American network radiating from YVR. Over the last five years, we have added 46 per cent in additional capacity and today, we launch up to 1,293 flights globally each week, representing more than $5 billion worth of aircraft assets dedicated to the YVR market every day.”

Jason Glue, Representing the Board of Directors, British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA)
“On behalf of the BC Construction Association and the 25,000 employers in B.C.’s Construction industry, my congratulations to Vancouver Airport Authority, PCL Construction and the skilled tradespeople who are building the Pier D expansion project for achieving this significant milestone. I want to thank the Airport Authority for helping make B.C.’s construction sector stronger by building world class projects that provide valuable training opportunities for our skilled tradespeople, and for letting us play a role in making the already magical arrival experience at YVR even more memorable.”

Jeff Murphy, BC Region District Manager, PCL Construction 
“We have been construction partners with YVR for almost 25 years and are honoured to continue this partnership on the Pier D expansion project. This expansion is the largest terminal expansion since 1996, and we couldn’t be prouder that our team gets to build it. Working collaboratively with YVR, the consultants and trade contractors, the PCL team worked safely and diligently to complete the steel structure on time and are excited to celebrate the completion of it today.”

ABOUT VANCOUVER AIRPORT AUTHORITY

Vancouver Airport Authority is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that manages Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Canada’s second busiest airport, YVR served 25.9 million passengers in 2018. Fifty-six airlines serve YVR, connecting people and businesses to more than 125 non-stop destinations worldwide. In 2019, YVR was voted Best Airport in North America for the tenth consecutive year in the Skytrax World Airport Awards. Vancouver Airport Authority is a dedicated community partner and in 2018 donated more than $1,000,000 to local organizations. We are committed to creating an airport that British Columbia can be proud of: a premier global gateway, local economic generator and community contributor.