Updated March 13, 2024
As I look out over the airfield, at what would typically be a snowy scene, I don’t see a lot of the white stuff, and I heard the groundhog saw its shadow signalling an early Spring.
The unseasonably warm temperatures haven’t scared the would-be travellers away from escaping to sunny destinations in the south. We’ve enjoyed watching families leave their parkas behind to enjoy non-stop service to Disney World in Orlando, the beautiful beaches of Florida and activity-packed all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, among many other tropical destinations. And the returning flip-flop-sporting travellers won’t have to worry about finding their boots.
We’ve had a lot on the go here on the airport campus. The Germain Hotels group broke ground on their new Alt Hotel in October, and the work continues to progress well. We look forward to watching the hotel rise above ground once the infrastructure work is completed below grade.
The Porter maintenance hangars are complete and are now in the hands of the airline to equip and activate. We hope to be celebrating a grand opening with them in the coming months.
As Spring and Summer approach, Ottawa's air service is abuzz with activity, mirroring the evolving market conditions. Exciting developments mark the season's preparations, promising increased connectivity and convenience for travelers.
Air France, in response to escalating demand, is set to upgauge its service for the second time, introducing daily flights featuring the spacious 324-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft starting June 10.
Porter Airlines continues its remarkable growth trajectory, recently unveiling plans for daily service to St. John's, Newfoundland. This addition expands Porter's network to 15 non-stop destinations, boasting an impressive schedule of approximately 37 daily turns, accommodating over 25,000 seats per week.
The robust partnership between Air Canada and United Airlines remains a cornerstone of YOW’s air travel landscape, offering seamless service to 12 non-stop destinations with up to 38 daily turns.
WestJet, with its stronghold in western Canada, maintains connectivity with four non-stop destinations from Ottawa, with approximately 8 daily turns.
Flair Airlines’ only YOW service will offer 6x weekly service to Halifax, a reduction from past levels.
Lastly, Canadian North continues to uphold its strong local presence, facilitating crucial connections between Canada's Eastern Arctic and Ottawa, via Iqaluit.
These developments promise enhanced accessibility and choice for travellers passing through YOW, affirming our status as a growing hub in Canada's aviation network.
One last word before I close in tribute to some very inspiring athletes who travelled through YOW in recent weeks. We were thrilled to join members of the Ottawa Police Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police for a very special send-off to Team Ontario as they headed west to the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. Approximately 40 athletes, their trainers and coaches were piped through an honour guard on February 26 on their way to Calgary, and again on return to YOW on March 3. Days like those remind us of the incredible role we play in important milestones in people's lives – a role for which we are very grateful.
I wish you safe and easy travels as you head off on your Spring vacation.
Bon voyage.
Updated December 20, 2023
We’re in the final days of 2023. The terminal looks busy and festive, and I can’t help but look back on the last 12 months with wonder and gratitude. There are many stand-out moments, with a few truly special ones.
Our route map is building back, and our passenger volumes have been growing commensurately; we are on the cusp of serving 4 million passengers for the year, and already looking forward to continued growth next year. We reconnected with Europe thanks to Air France’s non-stop Ottawa-Paris service that we inaugurated back in June. The flight has been so popular that it’s now operating year-round, with a bigger aircraft, and we hope its popularity continues. Porter Airlines continues to grow and add routes to its offering, including most recently, service to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando as well as its recent announcement doubling daily service on many Canadian destinations. In June, we celebrated the official topping-off ceremony for Porter’s maintenance hangar project by Taxiway Romeo. The construction project is nearing completion, and we hope to celebrate the opening of the facility in the coming months. Air Canada opened a new Concierge Office on Level 3, ensuring that the airline’s frequent flyers have easy access to customer assistance. They and other carriers continued to add service, including a robust sunshine destination roster for Ottawa-Gatineau residents who want to escape the snow and cold temperatures that are upon us.
Inside the terminal, SSP Canada opened their long-awaited Canal Market Hall, complete with local brands including La Bottega, and Bridgehead Coffee. We were all very excited to see homegrown icon, Big Rig, open next to the food court as well; given how full the restaurant is on a regular basis, our passengers are equally excited. These new food and beverage facilities round out the concessions program in the centre of the Canada/International hold room area in addition to Paradies Lagardère’s retail offering at No Boundaries, Maison de la Presse and the iBoutique. SSP still has a few food and beverage facilities to tackle, which they are aiming for in 2024/2025.
Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be an exciting year. We will be celebrating the opening of the Porter hangars, as mentioned, and welcoming the Trillium Line’s airport spur to the Airport Terminal Station. This long-awaited LRT connection is the result of extensive promoting and planning to ensure that YOW is served by various transportation options worthy of a world-class city like Ottawa. These and many other projects will keep our team busy and on their toes. As always, their dedication and commitment make a difference with each and every project and their efforts are deeply appreciated.
The next few weeks include the busiest travel days of the year as many Ottawa-Gatineau residents travel to be with loved ones for the holidays, hit the ski hills, or head south to the sunshine. In the background will be hundreds of staff members from the Authority, the airlines, the concessionaires and many other organizations from across the airport campus who are working during this holiday period. Whether they are checking you in, loading your bags, screening you for security, processing your customs declaration, serving you a drink or selling you a book, keeping the terminal clean and at the right temperature, clearing the roadways and runways, or de-icing your aircraft, they are all working to ensure you and all passengers have the best, safest and most secure travel experience possible. We are all grateful that they will be here and ready for whatever the season has in store.
Whether you are travelling or staying closer to home, I wish you safe and happy holidays, and I look forward to seeing you again in 2024.
Bon voyage.
Updated August 10, 2023
Happy summer! It’s been a while since I provided an update, and I have a lot to tell you!
I’m pleased to report that our passenger volumes are recovering and we are back to approximately 85% of our pre-pandemic levels. The terminal is busy, people are happily escaping to summer vacation destinations and reconnecting with friends and family.
One key destination that seems to be generating a lot of excitement is our new nonstop flight from Ottawa to Paris on Air France. The inaugural flight took off on June 27, and since then, more than 9,000 passengers have either arrived or departed on Air France’s A330-200. The route is doing so well, it’s being extended through the winter season and a larger Boeing 787-9 will be introduced in October. The incredible support from passengers and partners is the best confirmation of a strong market for nonstop service to Europe!
Also in June, we celebrated the “topping off” of Porter’s maintenance hangar project on Taxiway Romeo. We joined Porter’s architects, constructors and their sub-trades to sign the last girder and watch as it was hoisted into place and secured. This milestone was particularly poignant; it included a pine tree on the girder which signifies that the work site had no lost-time incidents. We look forward to watching the building continue to take shape and becoming operational in 2024.
Inside the terminal, work has continued on the Canal Market Hall in the Canada/International gate area. Despite some lingering supply chain issues, local coffee icon Bridgehead opened in July. Work is nearing completion on the remainder of the project, including the Big Rig sit-down restaurant, scheduled to open in late-August.
On August 9, the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority launched its Verified Traveller program at YOW. Eligible passengers will have access to a dedicated line at the Canada/International preboard screening checkpoint during peak travel times and enjoy an improved security screening process. Visit the CATSA website to learn more about the advantages of being a Verified Traveller, who qualifies, or to apply for a Nexus membership.
This summer has been marked with weekly severe weather. Most notably, the storms have included extended periods of lightning activity, and I thought it might be helpful to explain how that impacts our operation. The airport is surrounded by two large invisible ‘rings’. When the airport’s very sophisticated lightning detection system is activated, certain activities within the rings become restricted.
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Furthest ring to YOW - ‘yellow’ |
Nearest ring to YOW - ‘red’ |
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These alerts can cycle in and out for minutes or hours, which can have a profound impact on airport operations. Safety is our collective first priority, and while we understand that delays and cancellations have an adverse impact on passengers, we will not compromise a safe environment.
We launched our first Accessibility Plan in June to assist in meeting our requirements under the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations. We are committed to delivering accessible and inclusive service to all our airport travellers and community members.
Let me end with some information about the airport’s new Purpose Statement. I introduced the statement – “Building on teamwork and sustainability, YOW safely connects people, moves goods, and creates economic prosperity for our community” - at the Annual Public Meeting in May. Since then, we have been rolling it out internally with the team and communicating with the greater community through an extensive digital campaign. I hope you’ve had a chance to see our video and that our “raison d’être”, resonates with you.
If you have any questions or concerns, your feedback is welcome – contact us and let us know what’s on your mind.
Enjoy the rest of the summer, and if you’re travelling, bon voyage.
Updated December 14, 2022
You might have seen YOW in the news a few times over the past month; it’s been a busy but exciting time for us. On November 1, we were joined by our friends from Porter Airlines, the Mayor, several newly elected and re-elected City Councillors, the local business community and our staff to share some exciting news.
Last spring, we broke ground on Taxiway Romeo, the official name for YOW’s new $15 million taxiway. After finishing the project in October, we are ready to accommodate the growing demands of our G7 Capital City airport. Those include the unique needs of the Government of Canada. In fact, we have 25,000 square metres earmarked for their near-immediate requirements, with more available for development.
This development potential brings me to the second piece of news from the big event; Porter’s decision to expand their business at YOW. Construction is underway for two aircraft hangars spanning more than 13,900 square metres in total area. The hangars will accommodate maintenance operations for the airline’s new Embraer E195-E2 jets. Porter has confirmed the delivery of 50 aircraft, with 50 options. The first of which is scheduled for delivery in the coming weeks. As the primary maintenance base, Porter will hire 200 local team members. These will include 160 aircraft maintenance engineers, along with shop technicians and administration staff to oversee the operation. The project has also created more than 150 local construction jobs. In simple terms, Porter is investing in our community in a meaningful way.
Porter had sustainability in mind when it designed the hangars with aggressive energy efficiency standards, durable, insulated cladding, recycled steel, and other materials that will reduce the building’s carbon footprint by up to 28% of that of typical, similar structures. The airline’s commitment to sustainability fits perfectly with YOW’s participation in the federal government’s Net-Zero Challenge and our ambitious goals of decarbonizing airport operations by 2040 or earlier.
The first question I hear when I share the news of Porter’s expansion at YOW is: “Will this mean new routes for Ottawa?” I’m pleased to say that we are already reaping the benefits with two air service announcements in a little over a week. The first named YOW as the inaugural E195-E2 route from Toronto Pearson, beginning February 1, 2023. Expect more jet destinations to come as Embraer fulfills Porter’s order.
The second announcement expanded Porter’s signature De Havilland Dash-8 turboprop network with non-stop service to Quebec City, Thunder Bay, Newark and Boston, starting March 27, 2023. These announcements are the good news we’ve been waiting for after so many challenging months. To add to the joy, several airline partners have established an exciting roster of sunshine destinations for your winter getaway. We have non-stop service to Florida, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. There’s also lots of capacity to head west if a ski holiday in the Rockies is your dream.
Our passenger volumes are holding steady, and as the calendar counts down the remaining days of 2022, we expect them to spike. We have a ways to go to return to 2019 figures, but they are trending in the right direction.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your feedback and support as we’ve been progressing through recovery after a turbulent 2.5+ years. If you’re travelling over the holidays or staying closer to home, enjoy a safe and happy holiday. Here’s to calm and sunny skies in 2023.
Bon voyage.
Updated August 31, 2022
I am pleased to provide an update to my last note about the YOW Job Fair. Thanks to the power of word-of-mouth, social and mainstream media, we had a fantastic turnout on August 17th. Doors opened to a lineup that did not dissipate throughout the day. And, while we don’t have an exact count, our estimate is that more than 1,000 people joined the Authority and our campus partners to hear about the diverse career opportunities that await at the airport.
We are thrilled to learn that several participants have already hired new staff, while others are sorting through an impressive stack of résumés hopeful that they will fill their vacancies soon. What will these new employees mean from a passenger’s perspective? Perhaps most notably, shorter lineups at security, more regular hours at our food and beverage outlets, faster baggage delivery, and more availability of stores and other services. Countless other roles are vital to passenger processing and airport operations, and we are confident that these jobs will be filled shortly.
I am regularly asked how things are going at YOW – especially since the news reports on the difficulties airports worldwide continue to face. We are doing well, all things considered. Our passenger volumes continue to tick up; barring any new variant setbacks, we will reach, and possibly exceed, our projected 2.3 million for the year. It’s a far cry from the 5 million passengers we served in 2019 but also much better than last year’s 1.2 million.
Our air service is slowly growing as we continue to convey to the airlines the importance and demand for non-stop service from YOW as opposed to connections in Toronto or Montreal. This winter we’ll see plenty of non-stop sun destinations in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean back on the schedule, as well as plenty of Canadian ski destinations just a flight away. We are also pleased that United Airlines has scheduled its full complement of Newark, Washington-Dulles, and Chicago-O’Hare service year-round.
Before I close, I also want to mention that YOW is an inaugural signatory to the federal government’s Net-Zero Challenge. As I have often mentioned, our airport is committed to reducing the carbon footprint generated by our operation. Working with our campus stakeholders and external partners like Hydro Ottawa, we are in the process of setting lofty goals to meet the Challenge’s 2050 targets. In fact, we are looking to reduce the timeline by 10 to 20 years. Ambitious? Absolutely! But we know it’s vital for the health of our planet. I will share our net-zero journey in future posts, but you can also learn more about the Challenge here.
Until next time, bon voyage.
Updated August 3, 2022
Summer 2022 seems to be flying by – thankfully, many residents from Ottawa-Gatineau are flying along with it.
Despite the headlines that suggest all airports are in a state of chaos, YOW has been largely spared the issues that others have faced. That’s not to say things are perfect. In fact, the Authority and many organizations on the campus are suffering from the same staffing woes that are affecting industries worldwide. These shortages are causing some food and beverage outlets to remain shuttered or with reduced hours, as well as longer lineups and slower than usual customer processing and baggage delivery, to name a few of the impacts.
As our traffic increases, it’s vital that our airlines, ground handlers, retailers and others find the talent they need to ramp up their operations in lock-step with the airport’s recovery. To help the effort as much as possible, the Airport Authority is hosting a job fair. The event will be held August 17th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Infinity Convention Centre.
We invited organizations from across the campus to participate. To our delight, the following organizations accepted:
- Airport Authority
- Air Canada
- Bee Clean
- Canadian North
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Garda
- Maintair
- NAV CANADA
- Paladin
- Paradies Lagardère
- Porter Airlines
- Reef/ Impark
- Skyservice
- SSP Canada
- Strategic Aviation (GAT)
- Sunwing
- Swissport
Job fair visitors can meet with employers to learn more about building a career at the Ottawa Airport. Aviation is a fascinating ecosystem comprised of myriad companies that handle everything from baggage handling, passenger check-in, security screening, food service, retailers and customs agents, to name just a few. It takes all kinds of people, filling diverse roles to make aviation work. The job fair will have something for everyone.
And, airports are unique environments with an energy that is unmatched anywhere. Many say that when you work at an airport, you get jet fuel in your veins. If you are looking for a new challenge, or know someone who is, I challenge you to visit the job fair to see if there’s an opportunity that fits.
YOW is at about 70% of its pre-pandemic traffic, and barring any major setbacks due to COVID variants or other issues, we are pointed firmly in the right direction. Visit the job fair and be a part of the airport’s recovery as we reconnect family and friends from around the globe.
Bon voyage.
Updated May 20, 2022
t our Annual Public Meeting in early May, we announced the results and highlights of 2021. It will come as no surprise that YOW continued to suffer the effects of the pandemic with net financial losses and still-depressed passenger numbers. There were many signs of hope, however, as residents of Ottawa-Gatineau returned to travel, and major projects advanced. I also took advantage of the meeting to share our ambitious plans for the future as we look to recovery.
I broke down the plan into major themes, including building back our route network; understanding our evolving passenger profile and market; sustainability; and our workforce.
I will expand on these themes in the coming months as I get back to regular updates to this page. Questions about air service and our route network are the most frequently asked, so I will there start there by saying that first and foremost, it’s the airlines’ decision.
Building back our route network will take time, but we’re going after it with determination and a longer view. In the early days of the pandemic, international flights were limited to airports in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Despite the removal of these restrictions in summer 2021, airlines continue to hub a large percentage of their service in these airports making YOW a feeder for YUL and YYZ with multiple flights per day to both.
In our long view, we will not be satisfied playing this feeder role for decades to come. To counteract this, we need airline partners who see Ottawa-Gatineau as a priority market, deserving of appropriate air service for a market our size. Our airfield infrastructure can, and will, support this vision. We also need both leisure and business air travellers to make YOW their point of departure.
Aircraft are expensive, portable assets that are deployed to markets where airlines can profit. It’s vital to have the right sized aircraft serving a market for the long term success of a route. For example, Boeing 747, 777 and Airbus A380 or A340s have too many seats for Ottawa-Gatineau routes and would not be successful.
Examples of well-suited aircraft for our market include the Trans-Atlantic range capable ~182-seat Airbus A321NEO-XLR. Air Canada recently announced that starting in 2024 they will begin adding 26 of these planes to their fleet. Rest assured that we are in active dialogue with their network planners to make sure they understand why YOW is an ideal fit for this equipment. Our discussions include restoring service to London-Heathrow and Frankfurt. Paris is also in high demand and potentially well-served by AC or any airline with a similar aircraft.
Porter Airlines is growing its fleet by adding at least 30, 130-seat Embraer E195-E2 jets – another excellent fit for our market. These planes will enable the airline to fly to the west coast, southern US, Mexico and the Caribbean. As with Air Canada, we will work with Porter’s network team to help them see how YOW can support their aggressive network expansion plans.
Ultra Low Cost Carriers (ULCCs) have finally arrived at YOW – first with Flair Airlines last year and more recently with Swoop. All told, the ULCCs currently serve 12 destinations and their early success confirms that there is a market for their cost-effective offering in Ottawa-Gatineau.
The other reality of air service development is that many new routes are subsidized by third party - often government or economic development agencies. In fact, news of these government-sponsored programs at other airports in Canada have been in the news of late and airlines expect them. Unfortunately, we do not have access to these types of incentives provided by other levels of government, so our air capacity has stood on its own merit – for better and worse.
To address the gap, we are proposing a framework for an air service development fund where we hope that long-standing partners like Ottawa Tourism, The City of Ottawa, and others will be enthusiastic participants in support of our long-term growth objective. It’s clear to us that various airports across the country have benefitted from funding from all three levels of government – particularly the municipal and provincial levels that support their international airports much more aggressively. Smaller airports such as Kelowna and Saskatoon both received money from the federal government via Western Economic Diversification’s Innovation Skills Plan for air service development. The city of Edmonton has invested nearly $10 million since 2021 to help EIA’s network recover from the pandemic. And, the province of Nova Scotia announced earlier this month that they will invest $19.3 in provincial route support, including $13 million for Halifax and the remainder for Sydney.
To remain competitive, YOW requires a similar level of support – or approximately $15 million if we are to attract new international routes to serve our community. It’s important to note that if we are successful, we will not use this fund to buy random flights that are not consistent with our market reality, nor will we compromise the excellent strategic partnerships with our current airline partners. Whether global network or local low-cost, every carrier is important to YOW and will play a vital role in our recovery.
All this to say, we are supporting our airline partners and encouraging them to rebuild routes and connect our community with the rest of Canada and the world, unfortunately, financial incentives are the new norm that bring in new, or even many restored routes. As always, we are here for any airlines that wish to include YOW in their network. Having financial assurances certainly helps.
As summer approaches and you begin planning your getaway, I hope you include YOW in your plans – every ticket that includes our airport is another indicator for the airlines that the market is there with people who are anxious to fill their seats.
Bon voyage.
Updated January 22, 2021
Turning the calendar over to a new year was a happy task – not that there was a significant change from one day to the next. But, I turned the page knowing that there are brighter days ahead with COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out across Canada and around the world. The process will take time, but I look forward to watching the plan unfold. I am also anxious to get to the point when I can roll up my sleeve and get the shot knowing that widespread vaccination is needed to drive recovery in aviation and life in general.
Speaking of recovery, I had a discussion with the Ottawa Business Journal in December about how we see aviation coming back in Ottawa. It will take time, and will come in phases over the next several years. But it will come. The following is a summary of our discussion:
As expanded testing and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns begin around the world, some aviation experts say the airline industry’s previous patterns of recovery offer insights into how carriers are likely to rebuild their flight networks serving Ottawa in the coming years.
Shorter, regional routes are likely to be among the first to be restored as airlines meet demand from visiting friends and relatives, leisure, as well as business passengers resuming travel to familiar, nearby destinations. These routes are also relatively easier for air carriers to scale up as they are typically serviced using smaller aircraft with fewer seats to fill.
Long-haul domestic flights and transborder routes connecting Ottawa with popular destinations, followed by major U.S. hubs will likely be next, then longer-haul overseas routes. It’s going to be a gradual build-out. While routes that previously saw daily service may initially return with less frequent flights at first, airlines will add additional capacity to Ottawa as they see more passengers starting or ending their journey in the nation’s capital. Aircraft are portable assets, and airlines will deploy them on the routes where they see demand quickly returning. During recovery, the more Ottawa residents make use of the routes serving the capital – while respecting public health guidelines regarding travel, of course – the stronger the business case becomes for the carriers to resume more non-stop flights from YOW.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Ottawa Airport and its counterparts across the country have continuously adapted to evolving public health measures by moving quickly to introduce health and safety measures that provide passengers with a consistent experience throughout their journey.
This includes mandatory face coverings, enhanced cleaning protocols, plexiglas shields at check-in counters as well as visual and audio reminders to practise physical distancing.
Those efforts, combined with those introduced by airlines, have paid off. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, said in November that there was little to no evidence of COVID-19 transmission among air travellers, which she attributed to enhanced cleaning measures.
Safely serving those passengers who continued to fly – as well as facilitating cargo and essential Ornge ambulance flights – meant many parts of the Ottawa airport’s operations remained busy throughout 2020 and helped maintain the terminal’s readiness to be part of the economic recovery alongside its tourism industry partners.
Ranging from strict safety and security protocols, to passenger concessions, we have to be prepared for one, 15 or over 100 planes a day. Our job is to be ready, responsive and responsible.
Government and public officials have called for everyone to avoid all but essential travel. These restrictions are in place to get us through the pandemic as quickly as possible. We understand and support this guidance. Trust that when it is safe to resume regular leisure and business travel, we will be ready to welcome you back. We can’t wait.
Updated December 24, 2020
It’s that time of year – we celebrate the holiday season, we reflect on the year that was, and we look ahead to all the possibilities of a new year. Reflections and hopes may be different this year, given the situation in which we find ourselves, brought on by a world event that we didn’t ask for or want.
People are missing travel – I’m missing it too. But with vaccines available and being administered, I have hope that there is light at the end of the runway, and recovery will soon be on our radar. I expect that recovery will be a gradual process, but we are a resilient country that relies on air travel given our vast geography and dispersed population. We will get back on airplanes, and the airport will be ready when you are.
Our terminal may not be as festive as in years past, however, our holiday wishes are no less heartfelt and robust than they have always been. May you enjoy a safe and peaceful holiday season, and may 2021 bring you good health, renewed hope, and the togetherness we’ve all been missing.
Updated July 27, 2020
Welcome to summer in the Capital, where business is certainly not as usual. I spent some time chatting with the Ottawa Business Journal about the many changes at the airport as we look at the long road to recover ahead of us. The discussion was focused on how we are working as an airport community to create a safe environment for our passengers and employees by following the advice of federal, provincial and municipal health authorities, and by ensuring consistency with other airports’ activities across North America. Here’s a summary of the article that was published.
With travel volume diminished, the normally bustling passenger terminal at the Ottawa International Airport is atypically quiet this summer. But behind the scenes, staff are busy supporting other parts of the airport’s operations – essential cargo flights and Ornge ambulance service, for example, continue uninterrupted – as well as hosting some travellers and crews, while preparing to safely welcome more.
Passenger volumes are ticking upwards as air carriers gradually reintroduce flights, particularly those within Canada – routes that historically comprise a particularly strong market segment for the Ottawa Airport.
As travellers return to YOW, they’ll see several new protective measures – some subtle, others more noticeable – aimed at keeping them, airport employees, and the wider community healthy. By safely enabling business and leisure travel, the airport is facilitating important visits between local residents and their clients, colleagues, friends and family.
As I mentioned to the writer, people need to fly because Canada’s expansive geography makes air travel a vital form of transportation for many individuals and businesses. We’re ready to welcome our passengers and business partners back.
Terminal changes
Earlier this year, our team established a multidisciplinary committee with representatives from airlines, ground transportation, safety, security and communications, who carefully walked through the terminal to determine areas where passengers may come into close proximity with each other before boarding their plane. To help space out passengers, decals offering directions on where to queue to respect physical distancing were affixed to the floor in the check-in area, by baggage carousels, in the food court, and on the outdoor curbs. Public address system announcements reinforce the need to maintain a safe distance from others.
And while YOW has always received high marks for its cleaning practices, protocols have been further enhanced. Restrooms, kiosks and other high-contact surfaces are being cleaned more frequently and a medical-grade disinfectant is applied to the terminal daily. Hand sanitizer – which was already readily available prior to this spring – is now being more extensively deployed for passenger use.
Other changes include new plexiglas shields at check-in and gate counters, a requirement for staff and passengers to wear protective face coverings and, starting this fall, temperature checks at security. (Some airlines are currently taking passengers’ temperatures at the boarding gate.)
Members of the YOW team have been working with multiple industry groups as well as government in developing the new procedures to provide passengers with a consistent travel experience as they pass through different airports. These measures should provide passengers with peace of mind, knowing their safety is being prioritized. We hope that through this focus on serving the community, YOW can get back to doing its part to support the country’s broader recovery while continuing to be a major driver of the local economy.
You can find more information about the steps YOW is taking at www.yow.ca/recovery. Trust that we’re ready when you are.
In closing, I would like to wish you a great summer, and encourage you to keep following the wise advice of the health authorities – wear a face covering and practice physical distancing so we can get through the pandemic as quickly as possible.
Updated May 11, 2020
As we go into week 9 of the pandemic, life has certainly changed for the majority of our community. At the Ottawa International Airport, it is in no way business as usual, and the terminal is extremely quiet. That said, we do still have flights coming and going, and we are required to maintain the operation in support of the movement of passengers and cargo as well as medevac flights and military movements. We are doing that with a fantastic corps of essential employees who continue to work on-site and those who are support the operation from a distance. I extend my thanks to everyone who has modified their way and/or place of work.
Those who have been to the airport will have noticed areas of the terminal that are essentially closed; lights are operating at emergency levels, many systems have been turned down or turned off, every second or third check-in kiosk has been turned off and much of our electronic signage has been darkened. We have taken these and many other measures to cut costs at a time when our revenue sources have more or less disappeared.
As restrictions begin to ease, and air travel becomes a more viable option for those who need and want it, the airport needs to be ready. In preparation, the Airport Authority is taking many measures to ensure that our passengers and staff remain safe and healthy in a busier airport, including but not limited to the following:
- Transport Canada issued an Interim Order, effective April 20, 2020, that mandated the use of protective face coverings for all passengers and staff who pass through security checkpoints and in areas where physical distancing is difficult or impossible. In support of this Order, I mandated the same for all Authority staff while outside their immediate office or workspace, including in the terminal’s public spaces.
- We have encouraged all partners that operate in the terminal to mandate the same with their staff.
- We are developing a comprehensive Physical Distancing Program for the terminal, which will include a variety of electronic and standard signage, public address system announcements and floor decals to keep people safely apart throughout the terminal and on roadway curbs in front of the terminal.
- We will continue our enhanced sanitization measures for all restrooms, kiosks and other high-touch surfaces.
- We are developing a Return to Work Program for our own employees to ensure that we maintain physical distancing in our workspaces.
- We continue to work with our airline, concession and other partners to ensure that they are able to implement their corporate programs with respect to distancing and sanitizing their workspaces.
- We will continue to adapt as public health authorities recommend new best practices.
As mentioned previously, it is going to take several years for the industry to rebound to its 2019 levels. These will be tough times for airlines, our concession partners and the entire tourism sector. To get us through this unprecedented period, we will continue to work with all three levels of government to enlist their financial and policy support. We will also continue to do what we can to support our airport partners and stakeholders as we look towards the future and an eventual return to our important role as a major economic generator for our community.
Updated April 3, 2020
Since January, the Ottawa Airport Authority has been collaborating with the public health authorities from all three levels of government as the threat of the Novel Coronavirus reached North America. Through February and into March, we enhanced all cleaning and sanitizing protocols throughout the terminal, and worked to amplify key messages aimed at preventing the virus from reaching our airport and community. As the situation escalated in early March, the Authority began to examine its information technology systems and assets in its plan to have our staff working from home, where possible, to encourage social distancing and reduce the potential impact of the virus on employees and passengers. When the WHO declared the pandemic on March 11th, we put our plan into motion.
The Government of Canada's travel restrictions and recommendations took their toll on our operation very quickly. Early days saw a flurry of repatriation flights for our March Break passengers; however, as they wound down, we saw a devastating decline in aircraft movements to approximately 5 to 10% of what they were at this time last year. Air Canada and WestJet have cut 85 to 95% of their flights, and Porter has suspended all service until June 1st. American carriers have suspended service with few exceptions. Lufthansa will not operate YOW-Frankfurt service as planned. Some flights remain on the schedule and either fly virtually empty or are simply cancelled. As an example, on March 31st, we had 13 departures with approximately 430 passengers registered – some of whom may not have actually travelled. This number is in contrast to a typical 7,000 departing passengers per day volume.
Our concession partners have responded to the shrinking passenger volumes as well. A walk through the terminal at 6 a.m. would reveal closed restaurants, food outlets, storefronts, and few passengers or staff present at a time when we would typically see thousands of people moving about. We anticipate further closures as the pandemic continues. Major airport hotels have consolidated operations, and other campus partners that support our operation have been impacted. While it is difficult to quantify the impact in numbers that change daily, cuts to employment across the campus, and the transportation supply change are significant.
The airport is considered critical infrastructure, which requires it to remain open and operational in support of commercial aircraft movements (passengers and cargo), repatriation activities, the Department of National Defence, federal government operations, the Canada Reception Centre, Orange air ambulance service, etc.
So, what has the Airport Authority done to respond to the plummeting business? We continued to prioritize cleaning and disinfecting of all high touch surfaces, kiosks, and restrooms. We have worked closely with the health authorities to amplify their social media messages, in-terminal signage, and to heed their social distancing imperatives. We also completed an in-depth review of our expenses and our capital construction program. The completed review resulted in several outcomes.
First, we halted spending on capital programs. Some critical projects may move ahead very slowly, but for the most part, they have completely stopped. This action has reduced capital spending by at least $35 million. This has a significant impact on the economic activity in the National Capital Region with significant impact on employment.
Programs such as our terminal concession rollout, which was scheduled over two-plus years will now take significantly longer, and may look different from the program we presented in 2019. Many of the brands that were included in the program are impacted by the pandemic as well. Construction of the Alt Hotel Ottawa Airport will be delayed, although I understand that our partners at Germain Hotels are committed to moving forward eventually. These are just two of the more visible projects that we had underway. Countless others will not go ahead in the near term or, in some cases, at all.
Second, we have cut spending on items that are not aligned with regulatory requirements, or safety and security needs.
Third, we enacted a workforce cost and time adjustment program across the organization in the interest of avoiding layoffs. We will continue to do the required adjustments but I can assure that we will not compromise on safety and security for our team and for passengers.
All of the measures I have identified and more are dependent on the duration of the crisis. However, as we all know, each day brings more indicators that this will be a prolonged event.
What does the future look like for our airport YOW? It is hard to say with any precision. I can say with certainty, though, that it will not be business as usual for some time. I believe it will take years to build our passenger numbers back to 2019 levels. I cannot realistically promise that all 45 destinations served by YOW before the pandemic will return quickly, including our European air service. I can guarantee, however, that we will continue to work closely with each airline to rebuild our service as quickly as economically viable for our airlines.
I can also assure you that we will continue to work with partners in the government to ensure that we can take advantage of any programs or subsidies available to airports. On that point, it is essential to clarify that the rent relief announced by the federal government earlier this week is a positive gesture. It bears explaining, however, that airport rent is calculated as a percentage of gross revenue therefore our rent payment for March, April and May would have been almost nil and would be significantly reduced for the remainder of the year. As already mentioned, our revenues have all but disappeared, meaning that our rent obligation for 2020 would have been minimal. There is a lot more work to do if our airport is to return to its role as significant economic generators in the National Capital Region. We need our government partners to support airports through this crisis and to work with us to ensure an effective recovery for the benefit of our local communities and the country. We also need them to support our partners in tourism who have suffered a profound loss, and who will be critical to our recovery.
To the front-line workers, both at the airport and in the community, we say thank you. Our medical workers, police, paramedic, and fire partners, along with every essential service provider, have earned our unending respect and gratitude. To all employees who are working from home and practicing social distancing – know that your efforts are helping to stop the spread of the virus. Finally, our thoughts are with all those who are ill or have a loved one who is sick as a result of COVID-19.
Thank you to all who are following every recommendation from our public health officials to the letter. It is the only way we can get through it as quickly as possible.
Updated March 19, 2020
Much has happened since I last wrote – in terms of both the spread of COVID-19 within Canada and the impact on our airport and the aviation industry. Every province has reported cases and closer to home; we have 14 confirmed cases in Ottawa. With the virus’ spread, every level of government has responded with recommendations and mandated changes.
After initially closing the border to all but U.S. Citizens, the Government of Canada has now called for the closure of Canada’s border, including all non-essential travel to the U.S. While there are exceptions that will allow commercial trade to keep food and other essential goods moving into the country, it means an almost certain end to everything but domestic air travel from YOW. And, with recommended social distancing and self-isolation, the domestic demand will be severely limited. The news is devastating for our employees, our airline, other partners on the airport campus, and our community.
The Authority continues to do its part to aid our public health partners. We responded to the call for social distancing by moving as many employees as possible to working from home. Our enhanced cleaning measures remain a priority. We are helping disseminate critical information so that our returning passengers understand various elements of the virus and the need to self-isolate immediately.
Operationally, we are currently examining every aspect and all capital construction projects to find cost-cutting opportunities as we weather this unprecedented storm. Our campus partners are doing the same. The airline changes are more public, however, our concessionaires are also responding to the shrinking passenger numbers. Some stores and restaurants will close or reduce their operating hours as passenger numbers shrink. We ask for your patience as we all navigate through these changes.
As the situation continues to evolve, we will remain in close contact with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario, and Ottawa Public Health. We want to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information and instructions so that we can support the needs of our employees and passengers. I would like to say thank you, on behalf of the entire airport community, to the first responders on the front line of this fight administering tests and caring for the affected. They are all superheroes.
Stress and uncertainty have skyrocketed over the last few days – understandably so. The next several weeks and possibly months will continue to bring rapid change, and we will be called on to adapt again and again. My hope is that we can come together as the strong community we are to help those who are more vulnerable. I also hope that we will all come out on the other side of this crisis stronger and more resilient.
I will close with the same message as my last note: wash your hands, and ensure that you are practicing social distancing. Take care.
Updated March 17, 2020
COVID-19 is a crisis that reaches far beyond the airport.
We understand that measures were required to stem the transmission of the virus, including closing the border to a great extent, and we know that the impact on our airport and the industry will be profound.
We will continue to work with health authorities at every level, to ensure that we remain in lock-step with best practices and the evolving situation. We will also continue to work collaboratively with our campus partners, such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (U.S. CBP) and the airlines who take direction from their respective federal government or organization, to ensure that we provide a safe environment for their passengers and employees.
We look forward to seeing the virus eradicated and a return to a sense of normal. In the meantime, our thoughts are with those who have been directly affected by the virus.
Updated March 15, 2020
With COVID-19 classified as a global pandemic, we are in uncharted territory. From sport and cultural events, conferences, and public events being cancelled, and travel restrictions being imposed by governments around the world, including the Government of Canada, the aviation industry is, like many others, being severely impacted.
The March 15th recommendation from the Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, that all passengers returning to Canada from anywhere in the world self-isolate for 14 days, we will do our best to spread the message to all, through signage in the terminal and sharing over our social channels and website.
We know that there is concern about the potential for transmission during the travel process and want to reassure passengers and airport employees that we have been working closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario and Ottawa Public Health, to implement required measures.
Since we first learned about the virus in January, the Airport Authority has worked closely with our operations staff and terminal cleaning partner to implement the following:
- deployment of 30 more hand sanitizer dispensers groundside and in the Canada Customs area bringing the total to more than 75 units;
- deployment of dispensers at security posts for non passengers;
- deployment of eight additional dispensers in the gate area near the main exit, and at the main washroom entrances in the Canada/International gate area
- use of the Victory Complete electrostatic sprayer, which sprays EP50, in all washrooms, on baggage carts and on furniture. This method ensures effective spraying with no need to wipe, which reduces the opportunity for cross contamination; and
- hand wiping of all high touch surfaces, including hand rails, kiosks, and touchscreens, with EP products, including EP50 and EP66, both of which are environmentally friendly, and very effective hydrogen peroxide-based, multi-purpose disinfectant that kills 99.99% of a long list of bacteria.
We installed City of Ottawa hand-washing instructions in all restrooms throughout the terminal, and added digital reminders in the terminal that hand-washing is the best line of defence against illness. We have also placed City of Ottawa cards at both Info kiosks with links visitors can use to find more information about COVID-19.
We suspended our Infoguide Volunteer and Therapy Dog programs until further notice out of an abundance of caution.
Please be assured that will remain in daily contact with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario and Ottawa Public Health, to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information and instructions and are ready to implement any required changes as quickly as possible. I understand that this is a very stressful time for everyone, but I am heartened that the airport community, including airports across the country, have come together and will continue to collaborate as we try to minimize the overall impact on our airports and our communities.
Wash your hands, and ensure that you are practicing social distancing. And, check back for more information – I plan to provide regular updates.
Mark Laroche
President and CEO
Email Mark Laroche