The Halifax airport is undergoing major renovations – slowing down travellers and making noise.
By Erin Delorey <erin.delorey@dal.ca>
Posted: Feb. 19, 2008
Construction of the new parking garage at Halifax's airport should be complete this spring. Photo: Erin Delorey
The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is getting a facelift but passengers will have to have to put up with construction zones until surgery is complete.
The Halifax International Airport Authority will spend $82 million this year, which will cover a parking garage, new airport roadways, a pedway and a site for a proposed hotel, which will be completed throughout 2008.
The airport is paying for the development through increases in cargo revenue and a $10 fee on every departing passenger’s ticket. Money will also come from the resulting developments, such as a hotel and parking fees.
For some travellers, construction is a welcome sign of progress, but a headache too.
Ron MacGillivray, of New Glasgow, flies to Fort McMurray, Alta., once a month, and had been for four years.
“The facility is great,” he said about the Halifax airport. “The weather is kind of crappy, though, so it makes it hard.”
He said he favours Stanfield International to other airports because he’s more familiar with it.
“Toronto is way too big and hard to get around,” MacGillivray said.
Frank Hayes also flies to Fort McMurray regularly.
He says the construction is a positive thing and shows the airport is moving forward.
But with progress comes sleepless nights for Hayes who had to await flights on layovers.
“Sometimes the construction goes on after hours, after the busiest time just to make it more convenient,” the Cape Breton native says. “It can make it uncomfortable and a little bit annoying.”
Peter Spurway says the local population and economy directly affect the airport and its success. Photo: Erin Delorey
Peter Spurway vice president of communications said the airport made a strong effort to let passengers know what they will be coming into when they fly out of Halifax, and how to plan accordingly.
Yet, he said many don’t heed the warning and have to scramble to find parking.
“Once we hit the sun season, which is February, March, April, the chances are you won’t find a spot in the long-term lot,” Spurway said.
“We’re trying to urge them (passengers) to plan ahead. Don’t count on getting a space.”
He said park and fly is a safer bet for travellers.
The park and fly lot is located along the road before the airport. Passengers can park their car, keep their keys and jump on a free shuttle that takes them to the airport, for $9 a day or $45 a week.
Long-term parking costs $3 an hour, up to $12 each day and meter fees increased in January, to $3 each hour.
Diann Nicholson of Halifax flies about once a month. She’s used park and fly in the past but says the construction is slowing down the service.
Nicholson says most travellers are using the park and fly because long-term isn’t an option, which makes shuttles over-crowded.
“I know there were a couple of people on the bus that were really (anxious). They hadn’t given themselves enough time obviously, not realizing how bad it is out here,” she said after arriving at the Halifax airport Friday.
“If you haven’t been out here for while you don’t know… Basically you really have to add another half hour into your travel time.”
Halifax Stanfield international Airport set a new passenger record last year, with over 3 million served. Photo: Erin Delorey
Spurway said major airports are heading toward more self-service options, such as tagging your own bags and avoiding ticket agents.
The Halifax airport has self-serve kiosks that allow passengers to print boarding passes, saving time waiting for service at counters.
“The future will probably see a situation where I will no longer deal with a person until almost the door of the airplane,” Spurway said.
For now, passengers flying out of Halifax will have to navigate around construction fences and barriers, fight for parking and add extra time to do it all.
Spurway understands it’s confusing for travellers, but asks them to hang in until the airport completes the new 2,300-space parking garage.
“When we look back over the last four to five years, it’s true the airport has been a construction site.”
“Once we get the parking garage opened and those new road ways in ‘08, it will be much simpler coming and going next year, even though there will still be a construction site.”
Update
Feb. 21, 2008: In the first sentence of the second section of this story identification was added to "Spurway." Now reads "Peter Spurway vice president of communications..."
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