Saskatoon News November 23, 2011

Saskatoon Airport Expansion Approved

Our airport is getting bigger! With Saskatoon being one of the fastest growing cities in the world it is great to hear that our infrastructure is attempting to keep up. We will be getting a $53-million airport expansion which will increase retail and restaurant space and that will hopefully help attract more international flights to our city. We should even see construction starting early next year and hopefully be finished by the summer of 2014. They have been working on plans for two years and have the final design approved now.

This expansion almost doubles the size of the Saskatoon airport with a lot of that expansion occurring in the post-security waiting area where they hope to have more food, beverage and retails services as well as a VIP lounge. This is great news to anyone who has ever picked up their Timmies just to realize it can’t be taken into the post-security waiting area and the options on that side are next to nothing.

Over the past five years the number of passengers has already increased 30 per cent and this year alone the monthly numbers have broken passenger records so the year is expected to turn out a new overall record of number of passengers. In 2010 there was 1.2 million people and this expansion will comfortably allow an annual capacity of 2.2 million. This also makes our airport more attractive to international markets and hopefully more direct flights. The UK and Germany are two of the spots that they are trying to secure.

Did anyone notice we do have a $15 fee that is charged to each passenger flying from Saskatoon? This is how the expansion is paid for.
I do think it is long overdue for the expansion as I know when I pick up Saskatoon real estate clients who are flying in from larger centres they are generally surprised by our small airport with the lack of services. I also know for my own flying experience that I am excited for a better post-security area as that may help alleviate long lines shortly before flights as those of us who know the airport in Saskatoon know that we don’t want to get trapped on the other side if we need anything! This is a great thing for our growing city.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net