Friday, July 18, 2008

By Philip Round
Echo Staff

Comox Valley Airport expects to be flying high in the months ahead despite the axing of the AC Jazz flight to Calgary. Last year a record 310,000 passengers passed through - a 30 per cent increase over the previous year. And for the first half of 2008, the numbers are up another 12 per cent.

But in a full year, 34,000 of the travellers were booked on Jazz flights that will no longer be available from September, although the majority of future passengers on the company's route expected to switch to other airlines so the airport won't lose out completely.

Airport chief executive Chuck Fast predicted Wednesday that despite the schedule changes - and plans by Nanaimo Airport to expand - he is optimistic that Comox Valley Airport can still grow at a rate of up to 9 per cent a year for the next seven years.

Within four years, he expects the number of destinations served to rise from the present six to ten, helping power the continued upswing.

He'd like one of those destinations to be Hawaii, but warned that such a desirable option is still likely some way off. For the moment, the airport is hoping to build on the success of winter flights to Mexico, with both Cancun and Puerto Vallarta continuing to be offered as destinations.

He told the airport commission's annual public meeting that the ongoing growth is likely to see 400,000 passengers using the airport as soon as 2012.

"Passenger increases are due to increased awareness of Vancouver Island, regional market development - primarily through tourism - and a continued focus on customer service," he suggested.

The recent code-share agreement between WestJet and the US carrier South West Airlines could well open new opportunities for traffic to Comox via Calgary, he noted.

But he did not expect much progress in the near future on securing the long-held goal of direct flights to and from at least one US destination.

The economic climate in the States and changes in the patterns of travel by Americans simply made it unrealistic to expect such a development soon, he said - however much the airport would like it to happen. He was also hopeful that the promotion of ticket sales between code-share airlines would encourage more flight bookings from Europe via Alberta to Comox.

Surveys show that between 30,000 and 40,000 people already fly between Europe and Vancouver Island each year, he said, and there appears to be great potential for growth.

With increased numbers in mind, the airport has previously announced it is planning for the expansion of the airport terminal so that it will be ready to bid for construction funds when the time is right.

But it is not waiting to add more vehicle parking capacity, so has bought a treed area of property on the opposite side of Knight Road to the terminal.

It has also reached a tentative agreement to buy another large lot currently home to a wood mulching business on the airport side of the road.

Both sites offer potential for a significant expansion of public parking provision along with relocated parking space for car hire companies.

Airport Commission chair David Mellin said he believed last year's unprecedented growth in passenger numbers had been amazing, and was sure growth would continue.

The eventual expansion of the terminal would include facilities such as loading bridges so passengers could walk straight on to aircraft rather than climbing stairs, he noted.

New imminent investment, in addition to the extra parking space, will include building commercial fuel facilities for aircraft in partnership with Shell Aviation alongside the terminal, he confirmed.

He added: "Due to uncertainty in global economies and the ever-increasing price of oil, analysts have predicted a cooling in the tourism and travel industries.

"The Comox Valley Airport has weathered very well through recent years of instability and challenges such as 9/11 and SARS. "We will closely monitor the air travel trends and needs of Vancouver Island as we move forward, but I am optimistic that we will continue to be the shining star in the economic well being of Vancouver Island."

Airport Commission board members currently volunteer their time, but the suggestion of paying them some remuneration is under consideration, Mellin confirmed, although no final decisions have been taken.

Former board member Bob Mortimer had told the meeting that he thought paying directors would be wrong in principle and contrary to the commission's constitution and bylaws.

"I believe the spirit of volunteerism should remain as a foundation of CVAC," he argued. Mellin said a business case for some payment was being prepared "but it's a long ways away from being a done deal."