PGAA officially opens 3rd longest commercial runway in Canada

On

Prince George, BC – The Prince George Airport Authority, along with the Provincial and Federal governments, Northern Development Initiative Trust, City of Prince George, and the Lheidli T’enneh, officially opened the doors to the airport’s runway extension on Friday, February 20.

Delegates included:

  • Premier Gordon Campbell
  • Honourable Jay Hill – Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and MP for Prince George-Peace River
  • Mayor Stephanie Killam, District of Mackenzie, Northern Development Initiative Trust
  • Honourable Shirley Bond – Minister of Education and Minister responsible for Early Learning and Literacy and Deputy Premier, MLA for Prince George-Mount Robson
  • Honourable Pat Bell – Minister of Forests and Range, MLA for Prince George North
  • John Rustad – MLA for Prince George Omineca
  • Dick Harris – MP for Cariboo-Prince George
  • Mayor Dan Rogers – City of Prince George
  • Jim Blake, Chair, PGAA
  • Chief Dominic Frederick, Lheidli T’enneh

At 11,450 feet long and 200 feet wide, the Prince George Airport runway is now currently the third longest commercial runway in Canada after Calgary and Vancouver.

“It would have been impossible for an airport of our size to undertake such a major project without the generous assistance of the Federal and Provincial governments, and the Northern Development Initiative Trust,” said Jim Blake, Chair, Prince George Airport Authority. “While we face economic uncertainty in the short term, the development of the Northern Gateway will provide many of our trading partners with reduced costs in getting their products to market.”

The 4,000-foot, $36 million runway expansion is aimed at enticing air cargo carriers to refuel aircraft travelling between Asia and North America. Currently Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska are the primary northern refueling points on the “Great Circle Routes”.

The Prince George Airport is strategically located along the existing transpacific flight paths, which result in minimal diversions between origin and destination. As a result of this location, they are able to accommodate carriers for weather, safety or congestion issues.

The Prince George Airport Authority offers carriers an airport that can accommodate 24/7 operations with no operational restrictions such as noise or curfews, has a low cost fee structure and no congestion. The design and product being offered is exclusively geared for fast and efficient turnarounds minimizing carriers on the ground time.

With over 100 airside acres available and a 3,000-acre airport logistics park being developed adjacent to the airport lands – manufacturing and logistics opportunities for local and regional business will follow. The Northwest corridor will be one of the least congested transportation corridors in North America, ensuring the expansion and diversification of business, manufacturing and export from Northern BC.