Federal grant promises better connectivity, smoother experience for YYC passengers
The YYC Calgary International Airport is getting a $1.9 million boost from the federal government to help it recover from the effects of the pandemic.
Speaking at the airport on Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport Annie Koutrakis said the money will allow the airport to upgrade infrastructure and equipment to help speed travellers through the terminal.
"As we move forward with the safe return of activity in the aviation sector, it will be imperative that we continue to ensure a vibrant and competitive air sector in a way that is safe for all Canadians," Koutrakis said.
"This funding will allow the Calgary International Airport to invest in the infrastructure and equipment needed to help re-invigorate the aviation industry and allow Canadians to feel safe and secure when they travel."
Though air travel has ramped up since pandemic restrictions were eased, the airline industry has been plagued with complaints of flight delays, cancellations and lost luggage.
While none of the money announced Tuesday will go directly to airlines to address those issues, the CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority says it will help those airlines move passengers more efficiently.
"This announcement was for very specific things we're doing in terminal to facilitate better flow and quicker connections, and that's really, really important for travellers," Bob Sartor said.
"We're the busiest connecting airport as a percentage of our total business of any airport in Canada, so anything that continues to speed up our connectivity is good for the passenger and it does help the air carriers.”
Some of the money announced Tuesday will also go toward creating dedicated corridors within the airport to enhance social distancing.
The funding is in addition to the more than $57 million announced in August 2021 for rehabilitation of Runway 17R-35L.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.