Vancouver International Airport

"Vancouver Airport" redirects here. For other airports in Vancouver, see List of airports in the Vancouver area.

Vancouver International Airport
IATA: YVR ICAO: CYVR
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Transport Canada
Operator	Vancouver International Airport Authority
Serves	Vancouver, British Columbia
Location	Richmond, British Columbia
Elevation AMSL	14 ft / 4 m
Coordinates	49°11′38″N 123°11′04″W
Website	www.yvr.ca
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 08L/26R 9,940 3,029 Concrete 08R/26L 11,500 3,505 Asphalt/Concrete 12/30 7,300 2,225 Asphalt/Concrete 26A 3,500 1,066 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft Movements 326,026 Number of Passengers 17,495,049
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement Aircraft statistics from Transport Canada Passenger statistics from Vancouver Airport.

Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR, ICAO: CYVR) is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about 15 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements, behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to Asia, Europe, Oceania, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other airports within Canada. The airport has won several notable international "best airport" awards, and it won the Skytrax "Best North American Airport" award in 2007. YVR also retains the distinction of "Best Canadian Airport" in the regional results. The airport is the second busiest Canadian airport with 17.5 million passengers and 326,026 movements in 2007. It is an Air Canada hub as well as a focus city for WestJetand and a hub for Air Transat

The Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian Airports that have U.S. border preclearance facilities.

History

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh refused to include Vancouver in his North American tour because of the lack of a proper airport. Two years later, the city purchased land on Sea Island for aviation purposes.

Gateway

Due to its proximity to Asia compared to the rest of North America, YVR is used as a "gateway" between the two continents. It has more trans-Pacific flights than other cities on the West Coast, such as Seattle/Tacoma. This is partially due to cultural and historical ties as Vancouver has a very diverse population.

Terminals

Interior of the domestic terminal's check-in area for Air Canada.

International arrivals hall

International departures hall.

A Canadian Aboriginal wood sculpture, located on the first floor of the domestic terminal.

Construction of the Canada Line at Vancouver International.

Vancouver International Airport has four terminals: The domestic terminal, which was constructed in 1968 and recently given a top-to-bottom renovation; the International Terminal and Transborder, which was newly constructed in the mid to late 1990s, and the South Terminal, which is a portion of the original terminal that is still in use. The International and Domestic terminals can effectively be considered to be one building divided into two sections, while the South terminal is located in a remote part of the airport. The South Terminal serves regional airlines which fly mostly within British Columbia. The international terminal is divided into international departures and trans-border departures (to the USA only); above it is a 392-room hotel.

Cost

In May 2005, the federal government, which owns the land, announced it was cutting rent costs by 54%. The rent reductions will cut the cost of the lease by approximately $840 million CAD between 2006-2020, or $5.0 billion CAD over the term of the lease, which ends in 2052. Currently, the airport authority pays about $80 million CAD each year in rent.

Passengers traveling through YVR are no longer required to pay a separate Airport Improvement Fee; it now is included in the price of a ticket.

Architecture

Vancouver International Airport's interior has a uniquely B.C. theme, featuring one of the most extensive collections of North West Coast Native art in the world, and blues and greens to reflect the colours of the land, sea and sky. The airport uses a great deal of carpet and vast expanses of glass to let in large amounts of natural light. One of the most noticeable pieces in an arriving passenger's trip is the International arrivals hall, a large area where customs and immigration procedures are completed. Arriving passengers come down escalators leading to a platform across a large waterfall. The YVR aboriginal art collection includes wooden sculptures and totem poles. Bill Reid's sculpture in bronze, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe", is displayed in the international departures area.

Public transit connections

Currently, the domestic and international terminals are served by TransLink buses 424 and N10. Route 424 connects the airport to Airport Station, a stop on the 98 B-Line express bus route between Vancouver and Richmond. Route N10 is a night bus route that connects the airport to downtown and other locations when route 424 is not running. The South Terminal is served by route C92.

Vancouver International Airport is contributing up to $300 million to the Canada Line, a rapid-transit line running from the airport to downtown Vancouver (with another branch serving central Richmond) which will be completed by November 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The total cost of the project is $2 billion. A Link Building ($117 million, completion 2007) will be the docking area for users of the line and will link the international terminal with the domestic terminal. When the line opens, Vancouver's airport will be the only one in Canada with a passenger railway connection.

Future expansion

Template:Future airport ex A nine-gate international terminal expansion will be done in two phases ($420 million; Phase 1 – 2007; Phase 2 – as soon as 2010). The first phase saw four new gates with two conventional wide-bodied gates and two able to accommodate the Airbus A380. The international terminal addition has several examples of beauty in British Columbia, including a stream in a proposed pathway and fish and jellyfish tanks (completed). Phase 2 will add five additional gates and is currently under construction.

Vancouver International Airport Authority is currently developing a 2007-2027 Master Plan and Land Use Plan, a look forward 20 years to ensure YVR will be able to accommodate the passengers it expects. It is asking the community for input and toured local malls with an informational display to elicit feedback. The tour is complete, but the public can still provide feedback through the Master Plan section of the YVR website, where a copy of the draft Master Plan recommendations is also available.

Operation Yellow Ribbon

Main article: Operation Yellow Ribbon

The airport's reputation as a premier gateway airport between Asia and North America was made evident during Operation Yellow Ribbon on September 11, 2001. With U.S. airspace closed as a result of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, there was no choice for Vancouver International Airport but to take part in the operation since it was the only major Canadian airport on the west coast that has the capability of handling large aircraft for trans-Pacific flights. The airport handled 34 flights carrying 8,500 passengers—more passengers than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation.

The airport won the 2001 Airport Management Award from the B.C. Aviation Council and was cited for overcoming many challenges in a professional and compassionate way.

Airlines and destinations

Control Tower

Domestic terminal

Gates: A1-A5, B11-B22, C32-42, C50-C52. (C50-C52 are swing gates which can be used for international flights.)

Airlines and destinations out of the domestic terminal

Airlines	Destinations	Aircraft	Notes
Air Canada	Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto-Pearson, Victoria, Winnipeg	Airbus A319 Airbus A320 Airbus A321 Airbus A330-300 Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 777-200LR Embraer E175 Embraer E190
Air Canada Jazz	Calgary, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Edmonton, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Portland (OR), Prince George, Prince Rupert, Regina, Sandspit, Saskatoon, Smithers, Terrace, Victoria, Whitehorse, Yellowknife [seasonal]	CRJ-100 CRJ-200 CRJ-705 DH8-100 DH8-300
Air North	Whitehorse	Boeing 737-200
Canadian North	Yellowknife	Boeing 737-200	Seasonal service
Central Mountain Air	Campbell River, Comox, Dawson Creek, Kamloops, Kelowna, Quesnel, Williams Lake	Beechcraft 1900D Dornier 328
Skyservice	Calgary	Boeing 757-200	Seasonal Service
Sunwing Airlines	Montreal, Toronto-Pearson	B737-800
WestJet	Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montreal, Ottawa (seasonal), Prince George, Toronto-Pearson, Winnipeg	B737-600 B737-700 B737-800

International terminal

Philippine Airlines Airbus A340 approaching on Vancouver International Airport

Gates: D50-D78 ( D71-78 are swing Transborder gates)

Airlines and destinations out of the international terminal

Airlines	Destinations	Aircraft	Notes
Aeroméxico	Cancún	Boeing 737-700	Operated for Sunwing Airlines
airberlin	Dusseldorf Zurich	Airbus A330-200 Boeing 767-300ER	Operated by LTU[seasonal] Operated by Belair[seasonal]
Air Canada	Beijing-Capital, Cancun, Hong Kong, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, London-Heathrow, Los Cabos, Montego Bay [begins December 19], Osaka-Kansai [ends October 25], Puerto Vallarta, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita	Airbus A319 Airbus A330-300 Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 777-200LR Boeing 777-300ER
Air China	Beijing-Capital	Airbus A330-200
Air New Zealand	Auckland	Boeing 777-200ER
Air Pacific	Honolulu, Nadi	Boeing 737-800	US Customs cleared in Honolulu
Air Transat	Bahias de Huatulco [begins December 9], Amsterdam, Barcelona [begins June 4], Cancun, Frankfurt, Holguin [begins December 24], London-Gatwick, Madrid [begins June 4], Manzanillo, Manchester, Montego Bay, Munich, Paris-Charles De Gaulle, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San Jose del Cabo [begins December 9], Varadero	Airbus A310 Airbus A330-200 Airbus A330-300
British Airways	London-Heathrow	Boeing 747-400
Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong, New York-JFK	Airbus A340-300 Boeing 747-400	US Customs Cleared in New York
China Airlines	Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan	Airbus A340-300
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	Airbus A340-300
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou [begins July 2009]
Condor Airlines	Frankfurt	Boeing 767-300ER	Seasonal
EVA Air	Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan	Boeing 747-400 Boeing 777-300ER
Flyglobespan	Dublin, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK)	Boeing 767-300ER	Seasonal
Japan Airlines	Mexico City, Tokyo-Narita	Boeing 747-400
KLM	Amsterdam	Airbus A330-200 McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Korean Air	Seoul-Incheon	Boeing 747-400 Boeing 777-200ER
Lufthansa	Frankfurt	Airbus A340-300 Airbus A340-600
Martinair	Amsterdam	Boeing 767-300	Seasonal
Mexicana	Mexico City	Airbus A319
Philippine Airlines	Las Vegas, Manila	Airbus A340-300	US Customs cleared in Las Vegas
Singapore Airlines	Seoul-Incheon, Singapore	Boeing 777-200ER
Skyservice	Bahias de Huatulco, Cancun, Liberia, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Varadero	Airbus A319 Airbus A320 Boeing 757-200
Sunwing Airlines	Bahias de Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta, Varadero	Boeing 737-800
Thomas Cook Airlines	Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK)	Airbus A330-200	Seasonal
WestJet	Cancún [seasonal; begins November 3],San Jose del Cabo [seasonal], Mazatlan [seasonal; begins November 7]	Boeing 737-800

Preclearance Transborder terminal

E71-E96

• Air Canada (Anchorage [seasonal], Honolulu, Kailua/Kona, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, New York-JFK, San Diego, San Francisco)
  • Air Canada Jazz (Portland (OR), Sacramento [ends October 25], Seattle/Tacoma)
• Alaska Airlines (Anchorage [seasonal], Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma)
  • Horizon Air (Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma)
• American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Canadian North (Laughlin/Bullhead City) [seasonal charter]
• Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark [seasonal])
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta [Seasonal])
  • Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines (Salt Lake City)
• Frontier Airlines (Denver) [seasonal]
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul) [seasonal]
  • Northwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• Sunwing Airlines (Las Vegas)
• United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco, Washington-Dulles [seasonal])
  • United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines (Los Angeles)
• US Airways (Las Vegas, Philadelphia [seasonal], Phoenix)
• WestJet (Honolulu, Kona [seasonal], Las Vegas, Maui-Kahului, Kona-Hilo [seasonal], Palm Springs [seasonal])

Vancouver International

South terminal

• Air North (Masset) [seasonal charter]
• Harbour Air (Ganges Harbour, Montague Harbour, Miners Bay, Lyall Harbour, Bedwell Harbour, Victoria/Inner Harbour, Nanaimo Harbour)
• Hawkair (Prince Rupert, Smithers, Terrace)
• HeliJet (Victoria/Inner Harbour)
• Howe Sound Seaplanes (Victoria)
• Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (Masset, Sandspit, Kelowna)
• KD Air (Qualicum Beach)
• Nolinor Aviation (Masset)
• Northern Thunderbird Air (Smithers, Mackenzie, Prince George)
• Orca Airways (Qualicum Beach, Tofino, Victoria Airport)
• Pacific Coastal Airlines (Anahim Lake, Calgary, Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Penticton, Port Hardy, Powell River, Trail, Victoria (BC), Williams Lake)
• Salt Spring Air (Ganges Harbour, Maple Bay)
• San Juan Airlines (Friday Harbor, Anacortes, Bellingham, Seattle-Boeing Field, King County Airport)
• Seair Seaplanes (Ganges Harbour, Montague Harbour, Miners Bay, Lyall Harbour, Port Washington, Telegraph Harbour, Nanaimo/Departure Bay)
• Tofino Air (Silva Bay, Sechelt)
• Voyageur Airways (Masset)
• West Coast Air (Nanaimo, Sechelt, Victoria/Inner Harbour)
• Whistler Air (Whistler)

Cargo only carriers

• AirPac Airlines (Seattle-Boeing Field, King County Airport)
• Ameriflight (Seattle-Boeing Field, King County Airport)
• Cargojet Airways (Calgary, Winnipeg)
• Cathay Pacific (Anchorage, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, San Francisco)
• DHL
• Empire Airlines (Oakland)
• FedEx Express (Memphis, Oakland, Spokane)
• Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (Calgary, Kamloops, Victoria, Winnipeg)
• Morningstar Air Express (Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto-Pearson, Montreal, Moncton, Halifax, Victoria)
• Purolator Courier
• United Parcel Service (Seattle-Boeing Field, King County Airport)

Past & Future Airlines

Further information: Past and Future Airlines serving YVR

FBOs

There are several fixed base operators that service aircraft at Vancouver International Airport:

• CHC Helicopter
• Esso Avitat (Esso/Imperial Oil)
• Heli-Jet
• Heli-One
• Landmark Aviation (Shell Canada)
• Million Air (Chevron Corporation)

Incidents

• On February 7, 1968, a Canadian Pacific Airlines Boeing 707 overran a runway while landing in heavy fog, killing one crew member.

• On September 11, 2001, an Air China 747 from Beijing to San Francisco, was escorted by two U.S. F-15s onto the airport's north runway during Operation Yellow Ribbon, apparently due to a communication problem.

• On October 14, 2007, Robert Dziekański, a 40-year-old Polish immigrant, died after leaving the secondary inspection area at the airport. Dziekański, who had become visibly agitated after spending ten hours in the customs area, died shortly after being tasered at least twice by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers.

• On October 19, 2007, at approximately 4:10pm, a Piper Seneca bound for Pitt Meadows took off from YVR and crashed into a nearby apartment building in Richmond, British Columbia. The pilot was the sole occupant of the plane. He was killed in the crash. Two others were injured, both of whom were in the apartment building at the time. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

• On September 18, 2008 in the afternoon, an Air Canada Airbus A340 collided with an Air Canada Jazz Dash 8 aircraft. The Jazz flight was taxing on the runway when it collided. The Air Canada flight was bound for Hong Kong. Both aircraft received damage but there were no injuries or fatalites.

External links

• Vancouver International Airport Authority
• Vancouver International Airport page on Places to Fly, the airport directory of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
• Vancouver International Airport Authority Union
• Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Vancouver International Airport from Nav Canada as available.