Halifax airport expansion aims to simplify international connections
Multimillion-dollar improvements are expected to be complete by 2025
The Halifax Stanfield International Airport will open an international connections facility in 2025 in a bid to enhance the travel experience for passengers and increase cargo operations.
The upgrade will expand the second floor to allow international passengers to change to domestic flights on the same floor, instead of having to exit customs and collect their baggage as they currently do.
"Prior to that, there was only so much capacity, so we're looking forward to hopefully welcoming new air services and more international passengers," said Jessica Pettigrew, communications and marketing adviser with the Halifax International Airport Authority.
Having served over three million people last year, the Halifax airport is the eighth busiest in the country and the only one in Atlantic Canada to have United States border pre-clearance facilities, making it a hub for international flights.
The project will cost an estimated $18 million. Of that total, $3 million will come from the province, $8.4 million from the federal government and $6.6 million from the Halifax International Airport Authority.
The facility is expected to bring economic benefits of $800 million to the region, according to the airport authority.
What will change
Pettigrew said the upgrade will allow international passengers that had connecting flights in Halifax to move through the airport to catch their next plane more quickly, giving them more time to visit restaurants and shops.
Additionally, the expansion will accommodate wide-body aircraft, increasing the cargo capacity.
"We've already heard from several other airlines who have expressed interest in once the expansion is complete and actually utilizing the new space," said Pettigrew.
"We're hoping that that comes to fruition and we just continue to build on our international non-stop flight destinations."
A news release announcing the funding also said the project will help draw more non-stop flights, leading to an expected reduction in greenhouse gases of 11 per cent a year by 2035.
Business as usual during constructions
While the improvements are underway, passengers can expect to see white hoardings in areas where the work is taking place.
HIAA plans to include QR codes so people can learn more about the project, said Pettigrew.
Other than that, she said the construction should not affect operations at the airport.
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