Ryan Brading, Director of Airport Operations, oversees a complex dual-runway system that serves everyone from student pilots to international carriers. “We have a precision approach runway, 07-25, which is 7,318 feet in length, and runway 12-30, our crosswind runway at 5,297 feet,” he explains. Both runways received Transport Canada-mandated Runway End Safety Areas within the last decade, enhancing the airport’s already robust safety infrastructure. The passenger mix tells the story of Thunder Bay’s dual role as regional hub and remote lifeline. WestJet, Air Canada (including Rouge and Jazz Aviation), and Porter Airlines provide scheduled jet service, while regional carriers Bearskin Airlines, Perimeter Aviation, North Star Air, and Wasaya Airways connect 28 Northern Ontario communities that lack yearround road access. “We provide service up to regular Airbus A321 and Boeing Max aircraft, and we’re prepared to receive larger aircraft up to 767-300 for diversions,” Brading notes. Seasonal charter flights to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba see peak demand when temperatures plunge to 40 below.The airport also hosts Confederation College’s Aviation Centre of Excellence, a 59,000-square-foot facility voted best aviation college by Aviation Canada, whose 13-aircraft training fleet significantly boosts the airport’s movement statistics. ECONOMIC GATEWAY FOR NORTHERN ONTARIO Thunder Bay International Airport functions as more than a transportation hub. As the westernmost port on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system and home to Canada’s largest grain storage facilities, the city relies on air connectivity to support industries ranging from forestry to advanced manufacturing. The airport’s economic footprint encompasses a region where 28 communities depend entirely on air service for year-round access to healthcare, education, and commerce. “We conducted an economic impact study about 14 or 15 years ago, and we’re looking at doing another GDP analysis,” Brading says. While current figures remain in development, the airport’s role in regional prosperity is unmistakable. Passenger numbers have climbed roughly 5% year over year since the pandemic, signifying renewed confidence in business travel and tourism. Jackie MacDonald, Director of Business Development and Revenue Management, points to the airport’s broader influence on Northwestern Ontario’s economy. The facility supports Alstom’s 553,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, which employs 500 workers producing mass transit vehicles, and connects 173 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12 THUNDER BAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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