‘Moving in the right direction’

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This article was published 07/02/2024 (798 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The post-pandemic recovery at Winnipeg’s international airport soared to a new high last year, but officials expect traffic in 2024 to level off.

“It was a strong end to a strong year,” Nick Hays, president of the Winnipeg Airports Authority, said Tuesday.

Richardson International Airport reported 957,081 travellers passed through its facilities in the last three months of 2023.

The airport’s overall year set a post-pandemic milestone: 4,094,793 passengers, the first time the WAA clocked four million people since COVID-19 grounded planes.

“Things are moving in the right direction,” Hays said.

Still, he isn’t expecting the new year to be one of bountiful growth.

Crew and engine supply chain shortages will likely keep airlines from expanding, he said, labelling 2024 a “consolidation year.”

“(For) 2025 and beyond, we’re expecting to get back into growth mode as we get closer and closer to that pre-pandemic passenger number,” Hays said.

Richardson International Airport was at its busiest in 2018, logging 4,484,343 travellers. The next year (2019) fell short by 94 passengers.

The WAA tracked a passenger count above four million from 2016 through 2019.

Less than 1.3 million people trekked through the international airport in both 2020 and 2021, amid pandemic public health restrictions.

Despite expecting slower growth in 2024, the WAA will continue working to increase connectivity in Winnipeg, Hays said.

It’s also near ready to start construction on a $120-million air cargo logistics facility. In December, Ottawa announced it would spend $19.4 million on the new site, on top of $30.4 million promised in 2019.

“We’re seeing a lot of demand for that space,” Hays said, declining to name interested businesses.

Construction on the 120,000-square-foot facility — which will have an apron and taxiway — should begin in the summer and last two years, according to Hays.

In December, he told the Free Press the airport is “fundamentally at capacity” when handling cargo.

Even so, gross takeoff weight increased 0.8 per cent when comparing the final quarter of 2023 to 2022.

Hays maintains the airport’s financial recovery will take much longer than the return of passengers. Its long-term debt grew to almost $700 million in 2021.

Preliminary financial data for last quarter show an 11 per cent increase in consolidated revenue, to $40.5 million, compared to 2022’s fourth quarter. Net income rose during the same time period — an added $21.7 million year over year.

The WAA will share its year-end financial numbers during its annual public meeting in April.

Meantime, an aviation management expert teaching at McGill University believes Winnipeg could log a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels this year.

“I think Winnipeg is probably ahead of the curve,” John Gradek said Tuesday.

“If there’s an airport and a city and development program that’s in good shape in Canada, has basically weathered the storm of COVID, Winnipeg is it.”

He noted new routes and airliners added to Winnipeg’s network, including: United Airlines announced direct flights to Chicago and Denver last month; in 2023, WestJet launched a direct flight to Atlanta and Toronto-based company Porter Airlines began operating in Winnipeg.

In 2022, WestJet began a direct flight between Winnipeg and Los Angeles.

“You see carriers all of a sudden now have a great interest restarting or reintroducing Winnipeg as a potential market,” Gradek said. “I think the news is good for Winnipeg’s airport.”

Discount and specialized companies such as Flair, Lynx and Porter offer competition and, in some cases, cheaper prices. They likely entice people who wouldn’t otherwise travel, Gradek added.

Flights out of Winnipeg to smaller markets such as Victoria and Saskatoon would be welcome, he noted, however, the issue is carrier capacity — there are only so many planes.

Flights to overseas markets from Winnipeg would also do well, Gradek said.

Britain’s High Commissioner is scheduled to be in Manitoba on Wednesday.

Hays said he wasn’t aware of a meeting with the diplomat, but a direct flight to London is “on the radar.”

“It’s high in demand,” he acknowledged.

The post-COVID-19 pandemic traveller milestone in 2023 was an increase of roughly one million passengers from 2022.

A majority of travellers in 2023 — 3.6 million — were domestic.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com