Bringing Infrastructural and Economic Growth To BC
YVR Celebrates Major Construction Milestone of International Terminal Expansion. Set to open in 2020, expansion further enhances YVR’s position as a world-class connecting hub.
With nearly 100,000 travellers using the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) every day, YVR is the largest building in B.C. and the second busiest airport in the country.
To continue to provide world-class amenities for our passengers and airlines, in 2017, YVR embarked on a multi-billion-dollar expansion project comprised of 75 projects over 20 years, including additional gates in the international terminal.
Three years into the project, on June 4th, 2019, in Richmond BC, the team at YVR celebrated a major milestone with a steel-topping ceremony for the expansion of the airport’s International Terminal Building, known as Pier D. The event celebrated the completion of the structural phase of the building, which remains on schedule to open in 2020.
YVR’s terminal plan is based on building in an incremental and centralized manner which provides the opportunity to adapt the plan based on passenger growth. A centralized expansion means one terminal, all interconnected, with the shortest possible distance between gates. This also means linked baggage systems and easy connections between International, Domestic and Transborder areas.
Once complete, the expanded terminal will include an additional eight wide body gates, including four bridged gates and four remote stand operation (RSO) gates. The added gates will enable the airport to support large aircraft including the A380 which has a wingspan of 260 feet. This expansion will help YVR meet growing passenger demand, having welcomed a record 25.9 million passengers in 2018, better connecting British Columbians and local businesses to the world, while improving the airport experience.
“YVR’s mandate is to serve our region, connecting people and products to destinations all around the world,” says Craig Richmond, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “We are able to deliver on this thanks to our unique operating model and by being a connecting hub, which encourages passengers from other parts of the world to travel through our airport. Connecting passengers create enough demand to support air services that would not otherwise be possible. This directly results in significant benefits—not only more destinations, airlines and choices for passengers but jobs and business activity for the local, provincial and national economy.”
The expansion will continue with YVR’s well-known sense of place. Passengers will experience the beauty of B.C. with a glassed-in nature feature made up of three western hemlock trees. Amenities such as digital art, restaurants and bars will also reflect all that B.C. has to offer.
Tertius Serfontein, Senior Director, Airports—Western Canada, Air Canada, says his team has strategically developed and expanded Air Canada’s international network over the last several years transforming YVR into our commercial trans-Pacific hub that efficiently connects people from its Asia, Australia, India and Europe flights to and from our vast North American network radiating from YVR. “Over the last five years, we have added 46 per cent in additional capacity and today, we launch up to 1,293 flights globally each week, representing more than $5 billion worth of aircraft assets dedicated to the YVR market every day.”
YVR’s operations—together with tourism and cargo—contribute more than $16 billion in total economic output, $8.4 billion in GDP and $1.4 billion in government revenue across B.C. Each new flight through YVR creates hundreds of jobs and contributes millions of dollars in economic benefit to the province.
The Honourable George Chow, Minister of State for Trade, says “YVR also plays an important role connecting visitors to the amazing tourism experiences in all corners of our province. I know this terminal expansion will continue YVR’s award-winning reputation, support more international visitors and help build B.C.’s economy.”
To learn more about YVR’s key projects that will enhance the airport experience, visit www.yvr.ca/construction
