| Comox Valley Airport Reports Steady Increase in Growth for 2010 | |
| January 19, 2011 | News Release |
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Comox Valley Airport Reports Steady Increase in Growth for 2010
The Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) announced today that it served almost 300,000 passengers in 2010. With an increase of 6,687 passengers over last year - the equivalent of 40 Boeing 737 airplanes, YQQ is in an excellent position for steady but continued growth in 2011. "The Comox Valley Airport offers one of the most comprehensive scheduled air service networks on Vancouver Island," said CEO Shirley de Silva. "Our share of Vancouver Island's seat capacity has doubled over the last decade and we have led the Island in passenger growth for the last five years." In 2010, a total of 296,845 travelers moved through the terminal, an increase of 557 passengers per month over the previous year. De Silva confirmed the increase is on par with Transport Canada's predicted 2.3 per cent annual growth for the Canadian airport sector in 2010. "Following several years of vigorous passenger growth at all Canadian airports, traffic levels declined in 2009 as part of the global economic downturn," explained de Silva. "The Comox Valley airport is experiencing a steady but manageable rebound in passenger numbers as demand for travel increases across the country." YQQ's busiest month in 2010 was August, which saw a total of 33,588 passengers - an increase of 962 passengers over the same month in 2009. December's holiday rush saw a total of 24,733 passengers, or an increase of 508 passengers for the same time period in the previous year. The airport estimates a steady annual increase of three per cent, which could place YQQ's annual passenger numbers as high as 344,125 by 2015. "Our strategic plan lays out the direction for steady, sustainable growth in passenger numbers over the next four years," said de Silva. "Developing and expanding the airport's scheduled air services network will help us to achieve that growth. We will continue to focus our energy on bringing more airlines, routes and passengers to YQQ that complement our current services." The Comox Valley Airport's Strategic Plan for 2011 to 2015 can be found at: www.comoxairport.com under about us/reports. Media Contact:Christianne Wile | |