WINNIPEG AIRPORTS AUTHORITY
WINNIPEG AIRPORTS AUTHORITY IS
for those who qualify — anyone who has an airport pass and also police officers. It eases their journey through the screening process by way of them being a pre-verified and trusted traveller,” Hays explains. And as of September, passengers have another option if they want to fly to Toronto — one of the busiest hubs in Canada. Porter Airlines now has twice-daily flights to Pearson International Airport. Marketed as an “elevated economy experience," Porter is famous for serving free beer and wine in real glassware, complimentary non- alcoholic beverages, and salty and sweet treats. In addition, the airline features quality Canadian products, such as craft beer and premium snacks, on its menu. They also allow one piece of carry-on luggage and one personal item at no cost and offer free Wi-Fi. Most notably, Porter flights have no middle seats; each row features window and aisle seats on either side. “We're very excited to welcome Porter to Winnipeg. That's been something that we've been working on for some time. We were very excited that Winnipeg was included in Porter's expansion plans,” Hays says. “It really comes back to our mission, which is all about connecting communities. That's fundamentally why we exist. We're here to serve the community and to connect them, continually working with all of our airline partners across Canada and Internationally to bring more choice, more convenience, more options and more connectivity for people who live and work here in Manitoba and people that want to visit here.” For folks who may have experienced tumultuous travel last winter, Winnipeg Airports Authority assures customers and passengers that they are working to improve the
overall experience at every point across a traveller's journey. “The industry has been working very hard to ensure we can collectively deliver against the standards that customers and passengers rightly expect,” Hays says. “It's a huge effort and an industry that has a lot of moving parts. All the gears are working very closely hand in hand to elevate the customer experience. I think there's been a lot of progress that's been made.” On the horizon are some lesser known but economically impactful projects that will support the supply chain, logistics, transportation and development industries. Winnipeg Airports Authority is investing in a new multi-tenant air cargo logistics facility on the east side of the airport to support shippers, forwarders, exporters and importers. “Cargo has been a really consistent bright spot for many years. All through the pandemic, we saw consistent growth and steady numbers in terms of air-freight demand in and out of Winnipeg, and we see that continuing going forward,” Hays says. “So we are responding to that signal and continuing to invest in what the community needs in terms of cargo infrastructure.” The land on the west side of the airport, known as CentrePort, also presents a significant opportunity for development that will benefit the real estate, construction and business sectors, among others. “There is a huge opportunity to unlock the value of the land, and that's something that we are actively participating in and studying in conjunction with other partners that are part of that CentrePort land,” Hays says. “We're laser-focused on making the right investments that will support the community’s needs for decades to come.” ■
BUSTLING WITH ACTIVITY — AND THE SKY TRULY IS THE LIMIT. P assenger travel has almost entirely rebounded to pre- pandemic levels. They recently introduced a new trusted traveller program as well as a new airline offering twice-daily flights to one of Canada's busiest airport hubs, and there are plans for continued development. “Things are definitely moving in the right direction,” says Nick Hays, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Airports Authority. “It's going to take some more time to get back to that pre-pandemic 2019 level, but the recent trend has been really encouraging. The challenge that we face as an airport authority is that it will take many more years for us to recover financially simply because of the impact that the COVID pandemic had on us as an organization and as an industry.” A new trusted traveller program launched and will greatly benefit those who qualify by easing the security screening process. The program is intended to take people who have already undergone background checks and have photo ID — such as police, military and aircrew personnel — through an expedited process, thereby improving the efficiency of the system for all. “The trusted traveller line is something we've launched in partnership with CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) this summer. It will be a great benefit
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19 WINTER 2023
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