The Prince George Airport saw passenger numbers continue to rise over the past three months, the Prince George Airport Authority says.
The airport saw 30,510 passengers in July, up from 21,176 in July 2022 and 9.707 in July 2020. In August, 32,644 people flew through the Prince George Airport, up from 26,989 in August 2021 and 11,006 in August 2020. And 34,897 passengers passed through the airport in September, up from 24,909 in September 2021 and 10,902 in September 2020.
Over the three-month period, passenger numbers were up 34 per cent compared to 2021 and were more than triple those seen in 2020.
“Our airport is continuing to get busier,” Prince George Airport Authority president and CEO,Gordon Duke said in a statement. “Passenger numbers are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels and we are seeing an increase to our air service to match this demand.”
Passenger levels were down 18.5 per cent, compared to 2019, when the airport saw 39,146, 39,400 and 40,697 passengers flying per month in July, August and September.
The airport has seen changes in public health regulations come into effect. Transport Canada lifted the mask mandate for air travellers on Oct. 1, along with the elimination of other COVID-19 safety requirements. Vaccine and COVID-19 testing requirements were lifted in June.
In July, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced roughly $3 million in funding to replace aging equipment and help maintain safe, efficient operations at the airport. The same day as this funding announcement, the Prince George Airport welcomed athletes for the BC Summer Games.
The airport provided storage space for the games and served as the arrival and departure point for many athletes.
Farmhouse Catering Co. opened a bakery and full-service restaurant in the pre-security are of the airport over the past quarter. Looking ahead, Flair’s non-stop flights to Tucson, Arizona begin in December.
On Oct. 17, the airport issued a request for proposals to update the airport’s master plan, which was last updated in June 2014. The deadline for proposals is Nov. 15.
A spokesperson for the Prince George Airport Authority said the airport will not be commenting on the planned update until the deadline for proposals has closed.
