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Abbotsford's
International Airport means business
by
Jerry
W. Bird
 WestJet
led the way, now Air Canada has added three
flights-a-day service from Calgary and
Helijet Airways five city service add another
dimension to the service at YXX Abbotsford
Airport.
Canada's
National Airport Policy coupled with an historic
Open Skies Air Agreement, laid the groundwork for a
total revolution in general aviation and passenger
travel. It came with a sudden fury, and one of the
prime beneficiaries was Abbotsford Airport ,which
in 1997 began a major transformation. The City of
Abbotsford, represented by Mayor George Ferguson,
and the Abbotsford Airport Authority, now directed
by Herman Driediger, pledged to fully develop the
airport's potential.
Driediger's
optimism is justified by the airport's history and
location in the heart of a large, growing
population centre, with the Trans Canada Highway
bringing visitors, new business and development to
the airport's very doorstep.
Having
earned world recognition for the Abbotsford
International Airshow and Aerospace North America,
the stage was set. As Herman Driediger expected,
virtually overnight, Abbotsford Airport was on its
way to becoming a successful, passenger gateway,
with a brand new air terminal completed in record
time -- and on budget.
He had
little doubt that this cause and effect situation
would also be a magnet for general aviation and
light industry. In addition to increased action on
the airport property, such as the Conair Group's
multi-million dollar complex, all one needs to do
is drive down Mt. Lehman Road and spot the
warehouses and commercial development springing up
like wildflowers on the airport's perimeter. At the
Trans Canada Highway's Mt. Lehman exit, are some
further signs of important moves afoot, affected by
the airport's strategic position. Much of that
action has happened in three short years.
Speak of
positioning -- a glance at any map of the 100 mile
stretch from Vancouver to Hope reveals that over
700,000 Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley residents
are within the airport's marketing area, According
to recent studies, that figure represents the
number of persons who live closer to Abbotsford
Airport than its biggest competitor, Vancouver
International Airport. Just drive east from
Vancouver any time and you'll see what we mean --
wall to wall cars. Small wonder, so many inbound
and outbound passengers love our new terminal with
its convenient parking and laid back
atmosphere.
WestJet
Airlines' scheduled Boeing 737 service started the
ball rolling three years ago; now that company's
daily flights have been increased and its links
extend far beyond the original Abbotsford-Calgary-
Edmonton triangle. You can connect via Alberta to
Grand Prairie, Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon,
Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Hamilton and before
long- to Montreal. With Canada 3000 Airlines
providing direct weekly service to Toronto's
Pearson International Airport, since June,
Abbotsford Airport's passenger figures for the year
should top the 200,000 mark. What's next -- the
Okanagan, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas?
Across the broad tarmac of Abbotsford Aiport, the
Conair Group's new $50 million aircraft maintenance
facility looks ready to go, and is scheduled to
open in October. According to Conair Group,
business volume is expected to double and
employment to triple by 2004.For over 60 years,
since World War II, Abbotsford Airport has been a
key economic engine in the Fraser Valley. It has
generated significant revenues and created
employment throughout the region.
Recently,
Herman Driediger and the Abbotsford Airport
Authority initiated an Economic
Impact Study to
measure the impact of the airport on British
Columbia.
WestJet
Airlines' scheduled Boeing 737 service started the
ball rolling three years ago; now that company's
daily flights have been increased and its links
extend far beyond the original Abbotsford-Calgary-
Edmonton triangle. You can connect via Alberta to
Grand Prairie, Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon,
Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Hamilton and before
long- to Montreal. With Canada 3000 Airlines
providing direct weekly service to Toronto's
Pearson International Airport, since June,
Abbotsford Airport's passenger figures for the year
should top the 200,000 mark. What's next -- the
Okanagan, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas?
Across the broad tarmac of Abbotsford Aiport, the
Conair Group's new $50 million aircraft maintenance
facility looks ready to go, and is scheduled to
open in October. According to Conair Group,
business volume is expected to double and
employment to triple by 2004.For over 60 years,
since World War II, Abbotsford Airport has been a
key economic engine in the Fraser Valley. It has
generated significant revenues and created
employment throughout the region.
Recently,
Herman Driediger and the Abbotsford Airport
Authority initiated an Economic
Impact Study to
measure the impact of the airport on British
Columbia.
Pilot's
Choice. Fuel for the Cause
We
met Gerry Visser on a typically warm, sunny
Saturday afternoon at the Abbotsford Airport in a
vacant lot next to the Touch n'Go Restaurant. With
hammer in hand and an air of confidence, he was
busily erecting the skeleton of a new facility that
will serve a vital need at the airport for now and
years to come. Gerry's catchy name for the
operation is "Pilot's Choice, " a 24 hour Prepaid
Discount Card Lock facility that will serve local
volume users. For those interested, a debit card
service is expected soon. As a pilot and owner of
two Piper aircraft, which he has flown from here to
Alaska, Mexico, Cuba and the Caribbean, Gerry
Visser knows how important 24 hour fuel access is
to his fellow pilots and owners.The facility will
have two 50,000 litre tanks, with state-of-the -art
filtration and an environmentally approved
containment (spill) system, safety being a major
factor.
(more to come)
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