It was a record-breaking year for the Prince George Airport.
As the largest and most interconnected air traffic facility in the north, the fortunes of YXS often reflect the fortunes of the surrounding region. This year, for the first time, their gates were passed by more than a half-million passengers - 506,486 passengers to be precise.
"This is the first time the airport has exceeded 500,000 passengers in its 77 years of operation at the current site," said YXS president and CEO John Gibson. "Prince George Airport's passenger growth is an indication of the economic strength and importance of our area. We have been growing steadily and are continuing to rehabilitate and improve the airport to best serve the higher volume of passengers."
The new benchmark is especially exciting considering the influx of passengers through the airport in 2015 when the city hosted the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Despite that unusual bubble in the statistics, Prince George leapt above those rare numbers almost immediately. One year later, the stats nearly met the influx numbers, and they were easily surpassed the next two years in a row.
Recent passenger volumes (includes arrivals, departures, connections):
2018 506,486
2017 499,125
2016 462,007
2015 470,849 (Canada Winter Games)
2014 445,929
"Four airlines offer scheduled services between 12 destinations including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and (seasonally) Puerto Vallarta from the Prince George Airport," said Gibson. "In excess of 28 businesses with over 200 employees work from the airport, including charter and helicopter companies, aircraft maintenance providers, and government agencies."
Since the airport's administration was transferred from the federal government to the Prince George Airport Authority in 2003, several major infrastructure projects have been completed, including expanding the departure lounge and baggage handling area, adding the international arrivals wing and services, significant runway extension (YXS is home to the third-longest runway in Canada) and tarmac rehabilitation.
In that time, passenger numbers increased from 339,858 to 506,486. There have also been major upscaling in the abilities of the Prince George Airport to handle freight.
The airport authority is an independent not for profit organization, governed by a board of directors appointed from the community, and operating on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation.
