Calgary International Airport
Encyclopedia
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport
that serves Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
and the surrounding region
; it is situated approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) northeast of downtown Calgary
. The airport offers scheduled non-stop flight
s to major cities in Canada, the Caribbean
, Central America
, Europe
, the United States
, and East Asia
.
Calgary International Airport serves as headquarters for WestJet
and as a hub
airport for Air Canada
and Air Canada Express
. The airport is one of eight Canadian airports with US Border Preclearance facilities
. The airport is operated by The Calgary Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada
's National Airports System. It is Canada's fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic and third busiest by aircraft movements, handling 12,630,695 passengers, up 3.7% compared to 2009, and 234,239 movements, up 0.5%. In October 2008, The Calgary Airport Authority was named one of Alberta's Top Employers
by Mediacorp Canada Inc.
The terminal has four concourses, one of which is subdivided into two wings, one wing to accommodate international flights, and another wing to accommodate international flights to the United States
utilizing the airport's US border pre-clearance facilities. Plans for a fourth concourse are also being developed.
Comprising gates
1-19, Concourse A is used mostly for domestic outbound flights, although US-bound flights (without US Pre-Clearance) and other international flights sometimes depart from the A-gates. However, as this concourse is not connected to the Canada Border Services Agency
(CBSA) hall, only domestic flights arrive into concourse A. Gates 1 to 8 are ground boarding and utilized for most Air Canada Express flights (excluding flights operating on the CRJ 705
) and all Central Mountain Air
flights. Gates 9 to 19 are jet-bridged and are used for Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is located immediately beyond security on Concourse A. Concourse A has five security lanes. During peak periods, passengers with flights departing out of Concourse A may use the Concourse B security facilities (and vice-versa) before switching concourses through a walkway.
Gates 20-29 are swing gates between Concourse B and C. Any US bound flight is treated as a "C" Gate, whereas any Canadian-bound/International-bound flight is treated as a "B" Gate. Concourse A and B are connected behind security by a walkway, facilitating connections for Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights. When all Gates in the B/C section are "C" gates, then this walkway is closed due to US Customs & Border Protection pre-clearance for US-bound flights. Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights use the B concourse for domestic arrivals and domestic departures; Air Canada also uses it for international arrivals and international departures. During domestic and international operations the B Concourse security facilities (four lanes) are open. Passengers utilize the Concourse A security facilities during off-peak periods.
Calgary Rocky Mountain lounge (co-branded as the WestJet Lounge).
Note: † denotes charter operators and their destinations
The following airlines operate out of their own private facilities:
Route #100 connects the Arrivals level of the airport to the McKnight-Westwinds CTrain Station and #430 to the North Pointe Terminal, where passengers can board the BRT
Route #301 to downtown. The new BRT
Route #300 provides direct access to and from Downtown Calgary via Deerfoot Trail/Highway 2 and Centre Street North. There will be an extra fare of $8.00 for users of Route #300 departing the Airport. Also, the Airporter bus links the airport to several downtown hotels. Brewster transportation and Banff Airporter offer scheduled service to the nearby mountain tourist destinations including Banff
.
There are only a few ground handling
companies in Calgary but each provides different services to the airlines they serve.
, United Express (Skywest), Delta Connection (Skywest), American Airlines, and United Airlines. Cargo handling services are provided to UPS and DB Schenker.
provides cargo, lounge, passenger, and ramp services in Calgary. Passenger services are provided to Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines, and US Airways. Ramp services are provided to Air North, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Monarch Airlines
, Sunwing Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, the RAF
, as well as many ad hoc carriers. Cargo ground handling for, Cargolux and is also performed. Servisair also operates a business lounge for airlines using the C (USA) and D Concourses.
(WingTips) provides passenger services for Air North, Lufthansa, KLM and Thomas Cook Airlines.
s. Apron VII is also used as a cargo facility, primarily for FedEx Express and Purolator Courier. FedEx is among the cargo carriers that use Calgary as a hub at Apron VII. Purolator has a facility in the northwest corner of the field adjacent to Apron VII. Apron VII used to hold just two Boeing 727
s but has been able to park an additional three McDonnell Douglas MD-11
s for FedEx since November 2004.
As of November 2007, expansion construction are in progress for Apron VII to allow seven parking pads, including three for Purolator and four for FedEx. UPS Airlines has begun construction of a new centre, including an apron
directly southeast of FedEx's facility.
facilities are located on the south side of the field. These facilities include a Shell
Aerocenter, an Esso
Avitat, a customs
building, and more.
A new runway currently under construction will be called 16L/34R when operational in 2014. It will be 14000 foot, which according to the airport's website will be the longest runway in Canada. A tunnel running underneath the new runway will connect Airport Trail with Metis Trail NE. Barlow Trail closed on April 3, 2011.
The long runway length can be attributed to the relatively high elevation, 3557 ft (1,084.2 m), of the airport and the need to support the largest passenger aircraft types. Aircraft require more distance to take off at higher elevations, because of the reduced air density
associated with altitude.
overran the runway following an aborted take-off. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
On 22 Mar 1984, Boeing 737-275
of Pacific Western Airlines
with 119 people on board; suffered an uncontained engine failure on the #1 engine during takeoff. The debris penetrated and ignited fuel in the left wing. The aircraft was evacuated by slides, and the fire consumed the aircraft.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
that serves Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the surrounding region
Calgary Region
The Calgary Region is an area centred around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It consists of the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the municipalities it encloses, and the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 and the municipalities it encloses. The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area and Calgary...
; it is situated approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) northeast of downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
. The airport offers scheduled non-stop flight
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
s to major cities in Canada, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
.
Calgary International Airport serves as headquarters for WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
and as a hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
airport for Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
and Air Canada Express
Air Canada Express
Air Canada Express is a brand name under which four regional airlines operate feeder flights for Air Canada. They primarily connect smaller cities with Air Canada's domestic hub airports and focus cities, although they offer some point-to-point service. On April 26, 2011, it was reported that Air...
. The airport is one of eight Canadian airports with US Border Preclearance facilities
United States border preclearance
The United States operates border preclearance facilities at a number of ports and airports in foreign countries. They are staffed and operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Travelers pass through Immigration and Customs, Public Health, and Department of Agriculture inspections...
. The airport is operated by The Calgary Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
's National Airports System. It is Canada's fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic and third busiest by aircraft movements, handling 12,630,695 passengers, up 3.7% compared to 2009, and 234,239 movements, up 0.5%. In October 2008, The Calgary Airport Authority was named one of Alberta's Top Employers
Alberta's Top Employers
Alberta's Top Employers is a competition that recognizes the best workplaces in Alberta. Published annually since October 2005, the designation recognizes the Alberta employers that lead their peers in providing exemplary employee benefits and forward-thinking human resource programs...
by Mediacorp Canada Inc.
Terminal
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
utilizing the airport's US border pre-clearance facilities. Plans for a fourth concourse are also being developed.
Concourse A
Gate (airport)
A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...
1-19, Concourse A is used mostly for domestic outbound flights, although US-bound flights (without US Pre-Clearance) and other international flights sometimes depart from the A-gates. However, as this concourse is not connected to the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
(CBSA) hall, only domestic flights arrive into concourse A. Gates 1 to 8 are ground boarding and utilized for most Air Canada Express flights (excluding flights operating on the CRJ 705
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are regional airliners based on the Bombardier CRJ200. Final assembly of the aircraft is at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada.-Development:...
) and all Central Mountain Air
Central Mountain Air
Central Mountain Air Ltd. is a Canadian regional airline based in Smithers, British Columbia. It operates scheduled and charter services and transborder services...
flights. Gates 9 to 19 are jet-bridged and are used for Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is located immediately beyond security on Concourse A. Concourse A has five security lanes. During peak periods, passengers with flights departing out of Concourse A may use the Concourse B security facilities (and vice-versa) before switching concourses through a walkway.
Concourse B
Concourse C
Gates 20 to 34 are swing gates. Gates 31 to 34 will swing between Concourse C and D. On flights originating in Calgary passengers bound for the United States go through US Customs & Border Protection pre-clearance prior to boarding their flights. The flight is then treated on arrival in the U.S. as a domestic flight. Concourse C has five dedicated security lanes after US pre-clearance facilities. Concourse C is only used for US bound flights. The C concourse contains the ServisairServisair
Servisair is an aircraft ground handling company, operating at 175 airports worldwide.It is a subsidiary of Derichebourg. Its head office is in the Servisair House in Runcorn, Cheshire...
Calgary Rocky Mountain lounge (co-branded as the WestJet Lounge).
Concourse D
Gates 31 to 50 are located on this concourse. Gates 31 to 34 can also be used for US-bound flights and are shared with Concourse C. Gates 41, 42, 43 and 44 can be utilized for international arrivals and departures. There are six security lanes dedicated to Concourse D flights. The D concourse contains the Servisair Calgary Chinook lounge (co-branded as the WestJet Lounge).International Terminal
The International Terminal will feature, when open, 22 gates; 2 of which can hold an Airbus A380. The project will be approximately completed by 2014.Airlines and destinations
Note: † denotes charter operators and their destinations
Cargo
Other operations
- Alta FlightsAlta FlightsAlta Flights is a charter airline based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It operates regional passenger and cargo charters throughout Canada and the USA. Its main base is Edmonton International Airport, with hubs at Edmonton City Centre Airport and at Calgary International Airport.- History :The...
- Bar XH AirBar XH AirBar XH Air is an airline based in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. It operates North American charter services and air ambulance services mainly in Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and eastern British Columbia. Its main base is Medicine Hat Airport, with a hub at Calgary International Airport...
- ConnectAir
- Kenn Borek AirKenn Borek AirKenn Borek Air is an airline based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It operates regional passenger and cargo services, contract operations in the Arctic and Antarctic and aircraft leasing. Its main base is Calgary International Airport...
- North Cariboo AirNorth Cariboo AirNorth Cariboo Air is an airline based in Fort St. John, British Columbia. It operates general charter services and support flights for oil and geological exploration companies. Its head office is Fort St. John Airport, Fort St. John, British Columbia. ....
- Sunwest AviationSunwest AviationSunwest Aviation is a charter airline based at the Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The airline has a fleet of 42 aircraft, including 18 jets.-Fleet:As of May 2011 the Sunwest Aviation fleet includes:*5 Raytheon Beech 1900D...
- Swanberg AirSwanberg AirSwanberg Air is an airline based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.It operates cargo, scheduled and charter passenger services in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.- Destinations :Destinations:* Alberta...
- EnerjetEnerjetEnerjet is a charter airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It used to operate flights to holiday destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto , Winnipeg, and Vancouver...
- CanjetCanJetCanJet Airlines is a low-cost chartered airline based in Enfield and in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada at the Halifax International Airport. It operates contract and ad hoc charters throughout Canada and the United States...
Ground transport
At Bus Bay #20, Calgary TransitCalgary Transit
Calgary Transit is the public transit service which is owned and operated by the city of Calgary, Alberta. In 2008, an estimated 95.3 million passengers boarded approximately 960 Calgary Transit vehicles , which thus provided 2.31 million hours of service .-History:What would eventually become...
Route #100 connects the Arrivals level of the airport to the McKnight-Westwinds CTrain Station and #430 to the North Pointe Terminal, where passengers can board the BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
Route #301 to downtown. The new BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
Route #300 provides direct access to and from Downtown Calgary via Deerfoot Trail/Highway 2 and Centre Street North. There will be an extra fare of $8.00 for users of Route #300 departing the Airport. Also, the Airporter bus links the airport to several downtown hotels. Brewster transportation and Banff Airporter offer scheduled service to the nearby mountain tourist destinations including Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
.
Ground handling
Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...
companies in Calgary but each provides different services to the airlines they serve.
Airport Terminal Services
Airport Terminal Services (ATS) provides cargo, passenger, and ramp services to select airlines in Calgary. Ramp services are provided to Continental Airlines, Horizon Air, Delta Air Lines, Compass AirlinesCompass Airlines (North America)
Compass Airlines is a regional airline headquartered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Fort Snelling, Hennepin County, Minnesota; prior to December 16, 2009, it was headquartered in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, east of the Chantilly CDP...
, United Express (Skywest), Delta Connection (Skywest), American Airlines, and United Airlines. Cargo handling services are provided to UPS and DB Schenker.
Servisair
ServisairServisair
Servisair is an aircraft ground handling company, operating at 175 airports worldwide.It is a subsidiary of Derichebourg. Its head office is in the Servisair House in Runcorn, Cheshire...
provides cargo, lounge, passenger, and ramp services in Calgary. Passenger services are provided to Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines, and US Airways. Ramp services are provided to Air North, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines, often shortened to and trading as Monarch, is a British charter and scheduled airline based at London Luton Airport in Luton. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest charter airlines, operating to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, India and Africa, serving mainly leisure...
, Sunwing Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, as well as many ad hoc carriers. Cargo ground handling for, Cargolux and is also performed. Servisair also operates a business lounge for airlines using the C (USA) and D Concourses.
WestJet Turn Around Crew (TAC)
WestJet TAC is the sole provider of ground handling services for WestJet at Calgary International Airport.WingTips Airport Services
WingTips Airport ServicesWingTips Airport Services
WingTips Airport Services is a company offering airline representation. It is owned by C N Richardson Marketing Ltd and was founded in Calgary, Alberta in 1990, by Chris Richardson.-History:...
(WingTips) provides passenger services for Air North, Lufthansa, KLM and Thomas Cook Airlines.
Cargo facilities
Apron II is the main cargo facility at the airport which can park up to four Boeing 747Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s. Apron VII is also used as a cargo facility, primarily for FedEx Express and Purolator Courier. FedEx is among the cargo carriers that use Calgary as a hub at Apron VII. Purolator has a facility in the northwest corner of the field adjacent to Apron VII. Apron VII used to hold just two Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s but has been able to park an additional three McDonnell Douglas MD-11
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and, later, by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Based on the DC-10, it features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and smaller...
s for FedEx since November 2004.
As of November 2007, expansion construction are in progress for Apron VII to allow seven parking pads, including three for Purolator and four for FedEx. UPS Airlines has begun construction of a new centre, including an apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
directly southeast of FedEx's facility.
General aviation
General aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
facilities are located on the south side of the field. These facilities include a Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Aerocenter, an Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Avitat, a customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
building, and more.
Runways
- Runway 16/34 is 12675 foot
- Runway 10/28 is 8000 foot
- Runway 07/25 is 6200 foot
A new runway currently under construction will be called 16L/34R when operational in 2014. It will be 14000 foot, which according to the airport's website will be the longest runway in Canada. A tunnel running underneath the new runway will connect Airport Trail with Metis Trail NE. Barlow Trail closed on April 3, 2011.
The long runway length can be attributed to the relatively high elevation, 3557 ft (1,084.2 m), of the airport and the need to support the largest passenger aircraft types. Aircraft require more distance to take off at higher elevations, because of the reduced air density
Density of air
The density of air, ρ , is the mass per unit volume of Earth's atmosphere, and is a useful value in aeronautics and other sciences. Air density decreases with increasing altitude, as does air pressure. It also changes with variances in temperature or humidity...
associated with altitude.
Accidents and incidents
On 7 May 1982, Douglas C-47A C-FQHF of Kenn Borek AirKenn Borek Air
Kenn Borek Air is an airline based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It operates regional passenger and cargo services, contract operations in the Arctic and Antarctic and aircraft leasing. Its main base is Calgary International Airport...
overran the runway following an aborted take-off. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
On 22 Mar 1984, Boeing 737-275
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
of Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
with 119 people on board; suffered an uncontained engine failure on the #1 engine during takeoff. The debris penetrated and ignited fuel in the left wing. The aircraft was evacuated by slides, and the fire consumed the aircraft.
External links
- Calgary International Airport Homepage
- Page about this airport on COPA'sCanadian Owners and Pilots AssociationThe Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes...
Places to Fly airport directory - Video from plane taking off at YYC