Prince George Airport – Q1 Update

On

April 14, 2021

Prince George, BC –Passenger numbers at the Prince George Airport (YXS) were down 78% in the first quarter of 2021. The airport saw 7,831 passengers in January, 6,834 passengers in February, and 7,939 passengers in March. In terms of air service, the Prince George Airport is seeing growth. Central Mountain has already started an expanded route, Flair Airlines announced a return for summer 2021, and most recently, WestJet has announced a new route from YXS to the Abbotsford Airport (YXX) starting in June.

“We are thrilled to see air service returning and expanding at our airport,” says President and CEO Gordon Duke. “We remain cautiously optimistic as passenger levels and service options increase here at YXS”.

The Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA) received $720,000 in funding from the Provincial Government. This is part of a one-time investment of $16.5 million to 55 regional airports to support operations between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. This funding will go towards helping maintain air terminals, runways and other operations for the essential movement of goods and people.

“We’re pleased that the Provincial Government has heard the voices of airports and the aviation sector and is stepping forward to help,” Duke says. “We appreciate the support of the minister, the premier and our local political leaders on this initiative.”

Customer experience is a key focus for the Prince George Airport. The PGAA has a certified SuperHost instructor on staff to provide robust customer service training for employees. This year is the first year this training is being offered to the public. Classes are available in a virtual setting to better service our region and follow all public health guidelines. Anyone interested should contact our Manager of Community Relations, Chrisie Berry.

The Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA) has been working on innovative solutions for additional safety and security practices at the airport. Innovative Solutions Canada was looking for environments to test new COVID-19 related technology and the PGAA has partnered with OARO, a technology company. OARO released a statement in March announcing our partnership on a 12-week testing program for new camera technology. This technology is to be installed in non-public areas at the airport that will allow doors to unlock automatically for staff through a facial recognition system and complete a temperature screening prior to entry.

The Prince George Airport Authority is looking forward to what the next quarter will bring. We’re ready when you are.