Winnipeg airport suitable launch pad for development

THE driving force behind the concept of an "airport city" -- turning an airport's assets into broader economic development activity -- says Winnipeg has an incredible advantage because the city's airport is so close to the downtown.

Chris LeTourneur -- founder of the Airport Cities World Conferences & Exhibitions -- said the 6.4-kilometre distance from the airport to downtown means the whole city is part of an "airport city."

LeTourneur, president and CEO of MXD Development Strategists of Vancouver, has more than 20 years of experience in planning, design, land economics and airport city commercial development. His firm has done projects in 42 countries.

He may not be intimately familiar with all of the ins and outs of Winnipeg's business activities, but he said the airport's snug proximity to the city centre can be gold.

"It means (the airport and the city) is a singular economic unit," he said.

This week, LeTourneur made such a pitch to about 25 people in a business roundtable organized by the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

It's not a new idea. Barry Rempel's focus during his tenure as chief executive officer of the WAA has been to operate the airport as an engine for economic growth for the city.

Rempel figures over the past six years, about 1,000 jobs have been created on the airport campus, which includes developments in aerospace industries. Construction of a new airport terminal, the Canada Post sorting centre, the Greyhound terminal and a new hotel under construction have turned the airport campus into a hub of activity.

LeTourneur's concept would take it a step or two further. "The next step would be to really come up with an airport city commercial economic development strategy."

Every city has a different way to approach the issue and Rempel wants to put such a plan together for Winnipeg. Among other things, he is keen to address the look of the immediate land connections to airports.

But Economic Development Winnipeg has a bigger-picture approach. EDW has commissioned its own economic strategy report and has recently completed an outline of the 10 strategic sectors of the economy. Marina James, the chief executive officer of EDW, said the airport is definitely an important piece of the city's economic picture.

"I think the airport has a wonderful role to play in generating economic development activity," James said. "It is really an important piece of the puzzle. But I would say it's just one of the many pieces when we think of all the economic activity in Winnipeg."

While she may not be ready to yield EDW's big-picture approach to an airport-centric one, when you add CentrePort to the picture, leveraging the airport as part of the multi-modal inland port, there are a rich number of veins that can be mined.

"Partnering with developers, attracting investment, diversifying and enhancing tourism, stimulating and accelerating regional economic development -- these are all activities that the airport can participate in," LeTourneur said.

And between CentrePort and the new airport campus there is plenty of momentum. But passenger traffic at the airport in 2011 was flat at about 3.4 million people and seat capacity dropped 2.1 per cent from 2010.

United Airlines is about to cut its daily flights from Winnipeg to Denver in half -- to two, from four.

But Rempel said the greater capacity at the new terminal is an attractive selling feature in the effort to bring in new air routes.

As well, the airport's growing reputation as a cargo centre -- Winnipeg's airport handles the third-largest cargo volume in the country -- opens more avenues for route marketing.

LeTourneur said cities have developed business around their airports in creative ways. For instance, the new development around the Denver airport has seen greenhouses crop up on unserviced land nearby.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 2, 2012 B6