YEG to the World!
Celebrating the Edmonton International Airport as a regional economic success.
With Edmonton’s economy on the upswing, I want to highlight several businesses that are contributing to our region’s post-pandemic economic growth in significant ways. First up, our beloved airport!
Did you know that the Edmonton International Airport (also known as YEG) is Canada’s fifth-busiest airport? YEG itself was established in 1960, and is now operated by the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority (or Edmonton Airports), a community-based, not-for-profit corporation established in 1992. Our airport serves 8.2 million passengers per year, while offering non-stop service to more than 50 destinations around the world, and existing on the largest land mass of any major Canadian airport (7000 acres). With YEG acting as a reliable and preferred hub for international and domestic travel, cargo transport and more, it’s safe to say that this organization is an essential contributor to the Edmonton region’s goals of achieving long-term economic development, while fostering city vibrancy. I want to highlight some of the immense achievements of the Edmonton International Airport of the past year as we prepare for another successful year ahead.
In 2022, our airport:
- Served 5.85 million passengers
- Supported 97,496 total aircraft movements
- Gained four brand-new destinations
- Domestic: Moncton (YQM), Charlottetown (YYG)
- Transborder: Nashville (BNA), Tucson (TUS)
- Welcomed back / introduced more than 20 routes
- Offered more than 50 non-stop destinations
- Increased passenger volumes by 109%
- Moved 52,000 tonnes of cargo
- On the busiest day of the year (August 22, 2022), YEG saw 13,525 passengers departing from YEG, with a total of 29,660 passengers in the terminal
- Won TIACIA’s Corporate Sustainability Award and GHI Pride of Ground Handling’s Sustainability Award
- Became Canada’s first airport to integrate drone logistics into daily operations
- Sponsored over 42 events and activities in the Edmonton region
And that’s just a start! Much of Edmonton International Airport’s work aligns with the goals of City Council and the City of Edmonton, like advancing sustainability, truth and reconciliation, human equity, and clean energy initiatives. Some of this work includes:
- Working to meet their Climate Pledge to be net-zero by 2040, including work with hydrogen, solar and innovative solutions
- Supporting the Airport City Sustainability Campus, a business area at YEG that has attracted more than $1.5 billion in investment over the past nine years
- Launching the successful trial of an all-electric de-icing vehicle designed to reduce carbon emissions and maintain aircraft safety during cold weather
- Welcoming the Indigenous Interpretive and Retail Centre at YEG
- Signing an MOU with Indigenous Tourism Alberta to commit to furthering YEG’s work in reconciliation and economic development
- Partnering with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, an internationally recognized program that provides Sunflower-branded items for passengers to wear to discreetly indicate to people around the wearer that they may need additional support, help or simply more time
- Adding a website tool called Max Access that alters the website display based on an individual’s need or disability
- Signing 11 hydrogen-focused partnership agreements with companies all around the world with the purpose of making Edmonton an international hydrogen hub and continuing our dedication to utilizing sustainable fuel sources
- Being home to the world’s largest solar farm in an airport
I have also had the opportunity to be a part of several exciting announcements at the Edmonton International Airport too, including the WestJet expansion, federal funding to expand and improve cargo, logistics and handling,, and the launch of Flair’s new nonstop flight to Nashville, Edmonton’s sister city.
This has been a monumental year for the Edmonton International Airport in terms of economic growth, and I know that this is just the beginning of an incredibly promising upwards trajectory for YEG. I look forward to continuing to support YEG as it expands outwards and upwards, and am grateful that Edmonton is home to an airport that is taking flight in more ways than one.
