International flights, waiting area to be expanded at Jack Garland Airport

The terminal at Jack Garland Airport will soon be getting a face lift of sorts thanks to expected higher traffic starting this coming winter. In 2011, both Sunwing and Transat announced that their charter flights will be servicing International destinations to the Caribbean, coming in and going out of the North Bay Airport.

As a result of the anticipated increase in traffic there is a need to expand the secured customer waiting area at the Airport Terminal at an estimated cost of $140,000 to $160,000.

A motion for the expansion was carried during the last regular meeting of council. Council also agreed that the City and the Airport Board will work together to share in the cost of the unexpected expenses.

The existing waiting area can accommodate up to 40 people. Once the renovations are completed, it will be able to hold 150 travellers. It will also give the city open opportunities for the city to go after other international traffic.

The 737 planes traditionally carry up to 200 passengers, which will fly from North Bay directly to the Caribbean and return. Mayor Al MacDonald says that it will enable the Airport to use the 10,000 foot runway, a great economic tool that will provide a tourism aspect for the community.

“We're developing an International flight component to our airport which we're thrilled about,” MacDonald says.

“I'm please to see council support it.”

These new flight courses could be seen as in direct competition with Toronto's Pearson International Airport and possibly the Buffalo International Airport, MacDonald says that he's hoping that those who live within a two hour driving radius will choose to depart from North Bay's Airport. By doing so, he says that there will be a potential revenue source of between $70,000 and $80,000 yearly which will help the critical mass needed to keep the airport successful.

With the expected increase of people using the facility and of course, the high security demands in airports these days, North Bay has a lot to accommodate on a relatively small budget and in a short time period.

Whether or not it's part and parcel of the Airport Development Project that the city is hoping to build when they find the right investors, MacDonald says the Airport expansion is really a component of the fact that the city has a 10,000 foot runway and sees an opportunity for revenue generation.

“It's a tourism aspect that will put North Bay on the International travel map.”