Tim MacDonald
Senior Member
That's brutal. They couldn't design it during the reno with a passageway on the inside? Those bridges look used. I wonder what airport they came from?
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- Thread starter Branden Simon
- Start date
YHMaviSpotter
New Member
I guess not. I know from experience that some of the airports planning is an after thought. They'll start some projects without thorough planning and without proper input from staff. Now with new management hopefully that's different. The bridges are used and are from JFK airport. They bought 7 or 8 from there. 1 of the bridges is in rough shape and will be replaced in the spring once the other bridges from JFK are ready.
BCTed
Active Member
I thought I read somewhere that they are from LaGuardia?
YHMaviSpotter
New Member
Does it really matter, either way they're used bridges lol. It was thought LaGuardia as Vantage was doing the terminal redevelopment there but that was completed already. Vantage is now doing work at JFK and that's where I was told they're coming from by the project manager.
Tim MacDonald
Senior Member
There must be a missing piece here since this doesn't scream flying refined. You'd be better off using the hard stand for an international arrival and then tow on gate for the next live departure. I'm sure the bridges will look ok once they have been given a good cleaning and throw down some new carpeting.
Incidentally, Porter has entered into a new code share agreement with American Airlines, effective September 25th or something like that. I don't have the link but was reading about it on Aeroroutes. I do hope they succeed but fear the numbers work against them the way they are using the E295s. Before anyone says how well their flights are doing I will remind those that may not have been born in 2001 about Canada3000. They had their best sales day ever, September 10th, 2001. I went to work on November 9th and saw the entire fleet of A310s and 737s (acquired in the Royal Airlines and CanJet takeovers) A319s, A320s, A330s, sole A340 (who remembers that thing that they ran to India for a few weeks?) and of course the 757s, parked on the yet to be opened runway 24L/06R at YYZ after they had declared bankruptcy at midnight.
Everything is fine, until it isn't, when the cupboard is bare and the money boys are no longer taking your call. Instead, they are whispering to the Sheriff/bailiff, "It's time. Seize the assets!"
Incidentally, Porter has entered into a new code share agreement with American Airlines, effective September 25th or something like that. I don't have the link but was reading about it on Aeroroutes. I do hope they succeed but fear the numbers work against them the way they are using the E295s. Before anyone says how well their flights are doing I will remind those that may not have been born in 2001 about Canada3000. They had their best sales day ever, September 10th, 2001. I went to work on November 9th and saw the entire fleet of A310s and 737s (acquired in the Royal Airlines and CanJet takeovers) A319s, A320s, A330s, sole A340 (who remembers that thing that they ran to India for a few weeks?) and of course the 757s, parked on the yet to be opened runway 24L/06R at YYZ after they had declared bankruptcy at midnight.
Everything is fine, until it isn't, when the cupboard is bare and the money boys are no longer taking your call. Instead, they are whispering to the Sheriff/bailiff, "It's time. Seize the assets!"
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
I don't see the value in this incrementalist approach to capacity build out. Why not just invest in a properly designed new terminal somewhere else on the airfield??
These "renovations" are not going to produce a pleasant travel experience, and will lead to pretty bad inefficiencies for operators.
Surely we can build something like Fort McMurray's (population: 76,000) terminal at YHM??
These "renovations" are not going to produce a pleasant travel experience, and will lead to pretty bad inefficiencies for operators.
Surely we can build something like Fort McMurray's (population: 76,000) terminal at YHM??
KingJames
Active Member
Well that is just crazy talk! Recall the last time the City was going to build a new Terminal due to heavy demand, and WestJet said wait a second , we are going to move to YYZ.
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Tim MacDonald
Senior Member
You could build it, but it would cost a fortune. Fort Mac is mainly "business traffic" in oil field crew rotation.
In southwest florida, almost mid way between Tampa and Fort Myers, among the many airports is SRQ the Sarasota-Bradenton International airport. Up until 1989 it contained a very small terminal building with no bridges and parking for about two or three 727s or DC9 sized airplanes. This section of southwest Florida underwent massive growth in the mid 80s and a new terminal was approved to be built by the county owned airport. A ten to 14 bridge terminal along with two or three commuter gates was built starting in the late 1980s and opened in the fall of1989. All seemed well until Gulf war one happened. A major tenant, Eastern Airlines, went bankrupt and ceased operations in January of 1991. Things looked bleak. You could shoot a cannon down the spine of the terminal and not hit anyone. American, United, TWA had token service. USAir, Delta and Continental had a bit more if I recall. By the late 1990s, both United and American pulled mainline jet service. American ran turboprops to Miami. And then that got cancelled. By the early 2000s, it looked grim and the airport was on the brink of closing. I'm not so sure they weren't waiving the landing fees for carriers like Air Transat that ran A310s for a season. They tried hard to get some of the European charter carriers from the UK and Germany to run a program but I can't recall if anyone ever did.
SRQ was caught in the middle. It was almost equidistant between Fort Myers and Tampa. Those two airports had a lot more frequency and service. After the financial crisis in 2008, things began to rebound. Some of the discount carriers began servicing Sarasota. Mainline carriers came back. The region grew to the point where the facility gained the critical mass needed. A lot of people didn't want the I-75 drive to Tampa. tampa embarked on their own terminal renewal project that made things challenging.
SRQ just opened about a year ago a new concourse for Spirit to use. The airport now ranks 42nd in the USA for traffic.
So yes, at some point in time, a larger terminal at YHM makes sense, probably when YYZ is maxed out. This thing they are doing now will only end in frustration and tears. People might even try it once. Summertime domestics (heck, even winter ones) it will probably be great. But if I'm in the west end and I'm looking to go to say, Florida, I'm not going out of Hamilton. I can likely go out of Pearson for less money - or Buffalo for even less - pre-clear customs instead of customs on arrival at FLL/MCO, have a choice of five or six departures a day, and not have to walk in the cold to get to Canada customs on my return.
ScreamingViking
New Member
And it'll need federal $$$.
I think the reason Hamilton doesn't have a terminal like Fort Mac is because nobody has yet to discover oil within Hamilton city limits.
YYZ still has ways to maximize its use. I think it'll be some time before YHM is viewed as a decent alternative/growth node for air travel in the region. For now, freight is the ticket. The fact Porter is giving it a go is great, but there are many questions about that airline's expansion (regardless of the questions that surrounded its initial foray into Billy Bishop with turbo-props).
Incremental expansion it shall be! IMHO.
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ScreamingViking
New Member
The plans were impressive, before the rug was pulled.