Passenger volumes are under the pre-COVID peak however Graham Ingham says Thunder Bay Airport is in a superb place financially.
THUNDER BAY — The brand new CEO at Thunder Bay Worldwide Airport has large plans for enlargement.
The airport’s passenger quantity of 720,000 final 12 months was nonetheless nicely under its pre-COVID peak of about 860,000, and Graham Ingham expects this 12 months’s quantity might be about the identical.
However there are different methods the airport can develop.
“So far as the long run goes, my thoughts is all about land improvement on the airport,” he mentioned in an interview this week.
“So, developing with a method that permits us to allocate the sources that we have now to assist further land improvement alternatives for aviation, aviation-related companies . . . It’s one thing that we’re very, very targeted on.
Ingham mentioned there are about 200 vacant acres of land on the north finish of the property.
“That is prime for improvement. Within the subsequent 12 months, that is primarily the place my head’s at. Large alternatives. The airport’s in nice form, and the board has completed a implausible job with this airport, and needs to be very proud.”
Ingham not too long ago got here to Thunder Bay from Alberta the place he served as CEO of Crimson Deer Regional Airport for seven years.
He believes Thunder Bay Airport is in a powerful place with a $4.6-million revenue previously 12 months, no long-term debt on the books, and simply over $30 million in its funding account.
“That is most likely one of many best-run airports in Canada — not solely financially, however operationally. As incoming president and CEO, it is so good to be handed such a wealthy portfolio.”
Ingham famous that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to influence air journey patterns throughout the nation.
“We’re simply beginning to settle into sort of what the brand new norm goes to be . . . We all know the service stage shouldn’t be precisely the place we would prefer to see it, particularly on the Air Canada route from Thunder Bay to Pearson [Airport]. However there’s lots of constraints on the market. It is all about allocating sources, and there simply is not a complete lot of spare capability.”
He added, although, that there are nonetheless some constructive indicators.
“This summer season, WestJet is rising their frequency from 3 times weekly in July and August to 5 instances weekly. Encore is including one other weekly service on Wednesdays to Winnipeg. And clearly we have got the Porter service that began final 12 months in Ottawa. In order that’s all falling into place properly.”
Ingham mentioned the airways are “attempting to get that blend proper, and getting the most effective use out of their belongings,” however that present passenger load components “are actually, actually good out of Thunder Bay,” with Air Canada most likely within the mid 80’s and Porter “precisely the place they have to be, 75 to 80 per cent. And Encore is doing fairly nicely itself. So, all in all, it is not the place it must be, but it surely’s robust nonetheless.”
Mining and mineral exploration in Northwestern Ontario, he mentioned, proceed to be essential contributors to passenger volumes.
With information from Neve Van Pelt/TBT Information
