Comox Valley Airport is upping the ante to draw new airline services to the terminal.
YQQ is offering several new measures to entice prospective carriers, included in a new incentive program recently unveiled by the airport.
The incentives include $28,000 in marketing support for new and current airlines. A 50 per cent reduction in terminal and customs fees and a 25 per cent reduction in office and counter space fees is also being offered for the first year of operation.
Any airline that opens a new commercial route at YQQ will also have the support of YQQ's marketing and public relations program.
The airport has invested tens of thousands of dollars in new branding to give the airport a fresh look and appeal to customers who might otherwise travel from elsewhere. Work on a redesigned YQQ website is expected to begin this year.
YQQ also made 14 presentations to several airlines last year in an attempt to secure additional routes at the airport.
WestJet recently announced it was considering the launch of a new, short-haul regional airline by 2013, made up of a fleet of 40 small, turboprop aircraft, serving smaller Canadian communities. No further details have been released, and the company plans to consult employees before making a decision.
YQQ CEO Shirley de Silva said she was "pleased" to hear WestJet's announcement, and added: "Should WestJet move ahead with this new strategy, then certainly we believe that YQQ could be a good candidate for consideration."
Last year turned out to be a good one for Comox Valley Airport in terms of traffic growth, as the number of passengers travelling through YQQ grew by 12,370 over the previous year, a 4.2 per cent increase.
That tops the three per cent annual growth rate set out in the Comox Valley Airport Commission (CVAC) strategic plan, which aims to have YQQ passenger numbers at 344,125 by 2015.
A total 308,937 passengers passed through YQQ's doors last year, compared to 296,567 in 2010, a year that also saw an increase in passenger numbers.
August was the busiest month for the airport, garnering 34,580 passengers, an increase of 992 from that month in 2010.
December came in not far behind at 26,711, but surpassed the previous year's passenger levels for that month by a 1,978 margin.
YQQ CEO Shirley de Silva said the numbers show the airport is in a good position to continue to grow throughout 2012, and attributed the trend to the airport's "marketing efforts" and new direct charter flights to Cancun, Mexico through Air Transat and Nolitours.
She also cited the airport's acquisition of a Flair Air charter to Fort Nelson as a growth factor.
"Our strategic plan lays out the direction for steady, sustainable passenger growth until 2015, surpassing our pre-recession high," said de Silva. "As we strategically market our current routes in 2012, we will also continue our efforts to bring additional complementary air service to YQQ."
YQQ's 2011 passenger growth also surpassed the North American passenger growth rate of 2.5 per cent in 2010, reported by the Airports Council International North America (ACINA).
Globally, passenger traffic growth is expected to remain above 4 per cent.
Source: http://www.canada.com
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