Airport sees record increase in travellers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/09/2018 (2599 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last week, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport announced it had its busiest summer on record — with the number of passengers in July and August reaching more than 895,000. August was the busiest single month ever, with a passenger count of 462,719.

For the seventh-busiest airport in Canada, this is a worthwhile notation. It also clearly indicates the airport will surpass the 2017 year-end count of 4.3 million.

The entry of low-cost carriers Swoop and Flair seems to have spurred people to take more flights.

Getting more flights to come here to offer a wider range of service to Manitobans has sometimes been a challenge. For some reason, Winnipeg has not always been seen as a prime city for international carriers. In the past, we have had difficulties landing and keeping them.

Part of the growth this year and in 2017 can also be attributed to the fact international travel is growing.

According to the UN World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals — meaning those who stayed over at least one night — grew seven per cent in 2017, reaching a worldwide total of 1.3 billion. That number is expected to grow as much as another five per cent in 2018.

Even attacks on tourist, which have gained coverage from media around the globe, have not deterred people from travelling. Last year in Europe, where some of the worst attacks took place, tourist visits grew by eight per cent.

While neighbouring countries can have strong border crossings by automobile, the reality is much of the measured growth around the world is coming because people are flying more. That has led to a significant expansion of airports, as they build to address an expected increase in demand.

During my recent visit to Seattle, it was clear the airport will soon be significantly larger in size.

People are travelling farther away to experience new destinations.

In Africa, tourist arrivals increased eight per cent, while Asia and the Pacific saw six per cent growth, and the Middle East five per cent. The Americas grew by three per cent.

Canada’s 150th birthday was very successful, and only now does the United States seem to be experiencing some difficulty in attracting tourists, whether that is politically related or not.

Winnipeg’s new airport is attractive, and looks big compared to some of the other airports in the country. But when it comes to busy airports, we, along with most others in Canada, pale in comparison to traffic counts around the world.

The U.S. may be having some current challenges in tourism growth, but even with a slight drop in traffic, it still has the world’s busiest airport.

In 2016, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was again the busiest airport in the world.

Even with a 0.3 per cent decline in traffic, it retained its No. 1 position, as almost 104 million passengers flowed through it.

Beijing Capital Airport traffic grew by 1.5 per cent, to almost 96 million for second place, and third-place Dubai’s passenger traffic grew by 5.5 per cent, to more than 88 million.

None of Canada’s airports were in the top 20 in traffic counts for 2017. Toronto’s Pearson International was in 30th with 47 million, with Vancouver far behind at 25 million and Montreal’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau International at just over 18 million.

When it comes to airports, size does matter.

The more people travelling through an airport, the wider the range of services offered. In big airports, it is not uncommon to find a hairdresser, spa facilities, major department store brands such as Harrods, and a wider range of food and unique shopping outlets.

The larger the airport, the more likely it is to be a hub for airlines flying to other, more exotic destinations around the world. For Manitobans wanting to connect to many of the sunspot destinations not available non-stop from here, in most cases the connecting flights are going to be through Toronto’s Pearson International.

These big airports also come with some challenges. Even with the moving walkways, small shuttles for those who need extra help and, in some airports, rail service, getting from one terminal to another can still bring significant frustration.

Getting through security lines can be time-consuming, and the crowds during prime flight times make finding a place to eat or relax difficult.

For new airlines trying to break into the market and compete, landing fees can be prohibitive, forcing entrants to look for other destination alternatives until they gain greater brand identification and financial strength.

It is one of the reasons the John C. Munroe International Airport in Hamilton has become a hub in Eastern Canada for the airlines which hope to find their place in the crowded skies.

All in all, bigger airports which handle large passenger volumes are able to spend more for upkeep. They often tend to be design masterpieces, and they become destination shopping centres as travellers have to get to airports and through security earlier and earlier.

It is a fact of modern travel that recognizes there is no such thing as speedy flying, when considering all the steps in the process. So a good airport is a better place to be for the time it must now take.

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pradinukr@shaw.ca