AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT - PART 1 WE’LL MOVE YOU …. AND YOUR STUFF
WE’LL MOVE YOU …. AND YOUR STUFF The past five years have seen Edmonton International Airport quietly transform itself into a big player in air cargo. Here’s a look at EIA’s “unglamourous” side. BY BEN FREELAND
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alk to just about anyone workport now provides the region with ing in the air cargo business and over 60 non-stop passenger destinathey’ll invariably tell you that theirs tions, including recent international is the neglected, “unsexy” side of additions Reykjavik and Amsterdam, commercial aviation. Even though giving EIA three non-stop Europepassenger aviation is scarcely the roan connections for the first time in mantic phenomenon it was in the decades. At the same time, EIA has 1960s, it still receives outsized attenundergone equally stunning growth tion compared to windowless jets that on the cargo side. While the last five typically live in faraway corners of years have been rough for the global airports, well removed from passenair cargo market, EIA has grown its ger activity. It is perhaps this physical cargo business by 25 per cent, with isolation that makes air cargo an “out five consecutive years of growth. It of sight, out of mind” business. At Edhas also seen massive facilities inmonton International Airport (EIA), vestments, with a new $10 million NORM RICHARD , EIA CARGO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR however, the expanding EIA Cargo air cargo apron, a new road carriVillage and the ever-increasing numer hub for Rosenau Transport, and a ber of cargo jets stacked on its newly expanded apron is 210,000 square foot warehouse facility due to open in the typically the first thing one sees when arriving at the airfirst quarter of 2016. port, and thanks to its optimal geographic position and EIA cargo business development director Norm Richard proximity to mixed industrial and commercial developremains bullish on the future of the airport’s cargo operaments, EIA Cargo is on fire – and for once people appear tions, even in light of economic uncertainties. “We’re still to be taking notice. growing,” he asserts. “We’ve seen Cargojet up-gauge their The past decade has been good to EIA. In 10 years the operations to a wide-body 767 aircraft. FedEx’s wide-body airport has doubled its passenger throughput from 4.1 milAirbus A310 operations are doing well. We had 50 carlion passengers in 2004 to 8.2 million in 2014, placing it as go charters in 2014 with big aircraft like the 747 and the one of North America’s fastest growing airports. The airAntonov 225, and we’re very excited about the belly cargo
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May 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com