Passenger numbers at Comox Valley Airport on the rise again

VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC, Jan. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - The Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) served 318,830 passengers in 2014, an increase of two per cent over the previous year. With additional capacity planned in the first half of the year, the airport expects continued passenger growth into 2015.

"The last seven years at YQQ have seen a number of spikes and dips and we expect now to enter into a period of modest growth thanks to the additional capacity from WestJet Encore and Air Canada planned for 2015," explained Comox Valley Airport CEO Fred Bigelow.

Additional daily service to Calgary with WestJet Encore began on January 15 and provides scheduling improvements by adding additional frequency to WestJet's Calgary hub from Comox.  This added capacity opens up about 14 additional WestJet markets that were previously not served from Comox in at least one direction, including destinations like Varadero, Orlando and Cabo San Lucas.

On May 1, 2015 Air Canada will begin a new twice-daily service from Comox to Vancouver, providing comprehensive connection options within the Air Canada route network.  Possible same-day connections include: all points within B.C., Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Honolulu, Maui, Sydney Australia and London Heathrow.

"A key focus of the Comox Valley Airport has been to increase the number of same-day destinations accessible via YQQ available on the same ticket," said Bigelow. "The increase in capacity with WestJet and Air Canada has opened up so many more options for our passengers. We believe our numbers will continue to grow as more people choose to start their journey from the Comox Valley Airport."

Historical Annual Passenger Loads

2005	209,668	2010	296,567
2006	232,612	2011	308,937
2007	310,450	2012	327,827
2008	304,069	2013	313,186
2009	289,978	2014	318,830

About the Comox Valley Airport

The Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) is an economic driver for Northern Vancouver Island, supporting about 193 direct jobs including airlines, airport management, security, food and beverage, retail and ground transportation.  The airport and tourism business community together generate $367 million in Gross Domestic Product and $701 million in direct economic output for the community. YQQ is operated by the Comox Valley Airport Commission, which was established in 1996 as a non-share capital and not-for-profit organization to operate the civil aviation facilities, including the terminal and apron.  The airfield and its associated systems, including air traffic control, are operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force at 19 Wing Comox on a continuous 24-hour basis.

SOURCE Comox Valley Airport

Media Contact: Christianne Wile, Comox Valley Airport Commission, Phone: [phone] ext.253, [email protected]