Calgary International Airport - New Terminal, Runway, Control Tower

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Ah, a bit of both. They are only operating one runway right now and I've seen lot of holds and whatnot during busy periods as they try to vector planes in, but on the other hand, there are a lot of very busy single runway airports out there

Yeah. Gatwick only uses one runway and they have approximately double the number of aircraft movements.

So that problem could easily be fixed, but that would require competence at the aircraft authority/ATC, it isn't the airlines fault.

[Ryan Coke]

It’s pretty legitimate, they’ve gotten better at putting all the traffic on one runway since the closure a few weeks ago. The delays depend on the time of day, when there is a lot of traffic then they do flow control, so metering times for arrivals. If it isn’t a busy time, no delays.

[STeeLy]

They do sometimes use 2 runways if the winds are right... I've certainly watch them land 35R and launch off 29 or vice versa

[Acey]

ATC staffing is actually the bigger restriction at the moment, there's 2 runways that can operate independently but because they're not parallel it requires additional controllers.

Very few delays have actually been coded to air traffic control. Pretty much zero... but plenty have gone to "facilities" i.e. WestJet not having enough contracted ground staff to move their own planes and then blaming that on the airport.

[Ryan Coke]

Well first hand I got flow delays because they were on one runway due to winds. No delays due ground handling lately.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Well first hand I got flow delays because they were on one runway due to winds. No delays due ground handling lately.

Definitely some delays in the last couple weeks with the strong westerly winds when only 29 was used, but that flow would happen regardless of construction. In just north/south flow there have been some backups but I think better than most were expecting at this point.

[Lubicon]

Concourse B to remain closed for 18 months to repair storm damage. Will they take the opportunity to do a general update/upgrade as well?

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/hail-dama...ials-1.7017692

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Concourse B to remain closed for 18 months to repair storm damage. Will they take the opportunity to do a general update/upgrade as well?

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/hail-dama...ials-1.7017692

Now would be a great time for modernization although I don't know how swiftly any sort of major projects at an airport could be brought online.

[Muta]

Concourse B was actually modernized recently; it just wasn't an extensive modernization. They did remove the wall running down the centre, re-tiled the floors and did some other miscellaneous design work in there, I believe. I think that is where the pet washroom is too, haha.

The good news is that, as the CTV article states, flights and airport operations won't be affected. Concourse B sat virtually empty for a while after the US gates moved to the ITB. This would just be going back to that time again. I'd have been a lot more worried if Concourses A or C were affected.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Muta

Concourse B was actually modernized recently; it just wasn't an extensive modernization. They did remove the wall running down the centre, re-tiled the floors and did some other miscellaneous design work in there, I believe. I think that is where the pet washroom is too, haha.

The good news is that, as the CTV article states, flights and airport operations won't be affected. Concourse B sat virtually empty for a while after the US gates moved to the ITB. This would just be going back to that time again. I'd have been a lot more worried if Concourses A or C were affected.

True. If it had to happen, I'm glad it was B. I departed from there recently and it took me back in time. I remember departing for overseas flights at the very end of that pier where that larger waiting area is. And I remember the old glass wall dividing the US side from the rest of it, though that is (thankfully) gone.

Definitely the most tired and least important concourse of the airport, but on the other hand, I have been to worse. I hope that they can gut it, but I don't know if the airport has the money.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Definitely the most tired and least important concourse of the airport, but on the other hand, I have been to worse. I hope that they can gut it, but I don't know if the airport has the money.

I do know for fact that the next big project on YYC's horizon is the Centralized Pre-Board Screening project at the DTB. There are other smaller ones in the pipeline too (including a washroom refresh program). Not sure what YYC's plan to do these are, though, among the hail damage work required.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Muta

I do know for fact that the next big project on YYC's horizon is the Centralized Pre-Board Screening project at the DTB. There are other smaller ones in the pipeline too (including a washroom refresh program). Not sure what YYC's plan to do these are, though, among the hail damage work required.

The centralized screening for domestic seems like it has been in the works since at least 2019 when I was working at WestJet. It was one of the reasons why the WestJet lounge location is where it is because the screening is supposed to be right next door. I'm assuming that COVID shutdown that project, which was probably shortsighted, because it shouldn't take 5+ years to plan and build a new security facility.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

The centralized screening for domestic seems like it has been in the works since at least 2019 when I was working at WestJet. It was one of the reasons why the WestJet lounge location is where it is because the screening is supposed to be right next door. I'm assuming that COVID shutdown that project, which was probably shortsighted, because it shouldn't take 5+ years to plan and build a new security facility.

You're definitely right in that it was in the works since 2019, and then was actually designed... and then the project was restarted earlier this year. COVID may have had something to do with it, funding may have fell off the radar, perhaps turnover at the airport at the senior levels as well wanting a new design/engineering direction. Regardless, the process hasn't been the most, let's say, efficient.

[Acey]

The current B security checkpoint drops you pretty much right inside of WestJet's new lounge. It's about 20 feet away.

[Minnie]

Sweet merciful mother of pogo sticks, what just left YYC, around 1:30 pm? It flew over just as I walked out of Costco & she was deafeningly loud.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Minnie

Sweet merciful mother of pogo sticks, what just left YYC, around 1:30 pm? It flew over just as I walked out of Costco & she was deafeningly loud.

Most likely the CF-18 that flew in earlier, was in town for something at the SAIT hangar.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Most likely the CF-18 that flew in earlier, was in town for something at the SAIT hangar.

That must be what I just heard in the SE. That was hella loud.