Fredericton International Airport Breaks its Traffic Record for the Sixth Year in a Row
FREDERICTON – With a 10 percent traffic increase from the year before, Fredericton International Airport broke its record for the sixth year in a row.
Originally built to handle traffic of 200,000 passengers annually, the airport is operating at 75 percent beyond that after nearly 350,000 passengers travelled through last year.
The increase in traffic in 2015 was a result of the addition of WestJet to the airport’s service in April as well as the demand generated by tourism and convention traffic in the capital region. Passengers have access to flights to Toronto through WestJet as well as the existing flights through Air Canada to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax.
“Seeing the Fredericton International Airport post six years of growth during some challenging economic times for New Brunswick highlights how critical this piece of transportation infrastructure is to our region,” said Fredericton MP Matt DeCourcey. “Growth in service at the Fredericton airport means more jobs in our region, improved access to markets for our businesses and a better quality of life for residents.”
Projections indicate that growth will continue to increase steadily and should be at 500,000 passengers by 2030. This should generate 1,015 jobs in the province and contribute $41.5 million to the province’s GDP.
Fredericton International Airport Authority President & CEO Johanne Gallant said that with a growing need for more space to move passengers through security, work towards finalizing funding for an expansion to accommodate the increase in traffic is now being done. The expansion would include a larger departure area, improved food service, a children’s play area, improved washrooms and a shorter distance for passengers to walk outside to board planes.