Prince George Airport
| Prince George Airport | |||
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| IATA: YXS – ICAO: CYXS – WMO: 71896 |
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Transport Canada[1] | ||
| Operator | Prince George Airport Authority | ||
| Serves | Prince George, British Columbia | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,267 ft / 691 m | ||
| Coordinates | 53°53′03″N 122°40′39″W / 53.88417°N 122.6775°WCoordinates: 53°53′03″N 122°40′39″W / 53.88417°N 122.6775°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
 CYXS
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 01/19 | 3,770 | 1,149 | Asphalt |
| 06/24 | 5,624 | 1,714 | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 11,450 | 3,490 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Aircraft movements | 42,997 | ||
| Source: Canada Flight Supplement[2] Environment Canada[3] Movements from Statistics Canada[4] |
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Prince George Airport (IATA: YXS, ICAO: CYXS) is an airport that serves Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, and the surrounding area. It is located just within the southern boundary of the city, 2.8 NM (5.2 km; 3.2 mi) southeast,[2] and is run by the Prince George Airport Authority.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft with no more than 15 passengers and other aircraft with 30 or 120 if off-loaded in stages.[2]
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[edit] History
First opened in 1928, and until 1940, the airport's initial site was at the intersections of Highway 97 and Highway 16 (the same site is currently being used as a golf course).
During the 1930s and 40s, it also contained Pineview Elementary, which was renamed the Airport School. In 1941, after the completion of runway 14/32 (now 15/33), Pan American Airways operated from the Prince George Airport as a stopover location on its Seattle to Fairbanks route. In 1942, Canadian Pacific Airlines began offering scheduled flights six times a week to Prince George. In 1953, the first lights were installed along runway 14/32 (now 15/33). Later that same year, a United States Air Force B-29 Superfortress was forced to make an emergency landing along the same runway. It landed 18 in (46 cm) deep inside the tarmac.
The Prince George Airport was commercialized in 1963 when Mrs. P. Richardson opened the first coffee shop in the terminal. Wildlife such as moose or deer can be seen occasionally from the runway.
The Prince George Airport underwent a significant expansion and revitalization from 2003 to 2005 that included the development of more check-in counters, larger pre-board screening and holding areas, new baggage carousels, and a border control facility for processing international flights. The airport recently began serving Mexican destinations through charter company Air Transat (the flights are operated by WestJet Airlines).
As part of a deal where the city of Prince George agreed to cover up to $400,000 of risk with taxpayer money, Horizon Air began a daily flight to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on May 1, 2008. However, this proved unpopular and both the city and Horizon lost "substantial" money before the deal was canceled four months later.[5]
On November 17, 2009, the first Boeing 747 aircraft touched down at Prince George Airport, as part of a refueling stop.[6] It was a Southern Air cargo flight, en route from Caracas, Venezuela to Shanghai, China. This comes as a result of a runway expansion, increasing the length of runway 15/33 to 11,450 ft (3,490 m), making it the third longest runway in Canada, behind Calgary International (12,675 ft (3,863 m)) and Vancouver International (11,500 ft (3,505 m)).[7]
On December 19, 2009 a fire destroyed the Northern Thunderbird Air terminal with no loss of life[8] The airline has stated that operations will continue as normal despite the setback[9]
[edit] Airlines and destinations
The airport is the head office for Northern Thunderbird Air which provides flights to Williston Lake destinations and charters.
Prince George Airport is Head Office for Flight School & Charter flight company Guardian Aerospace www.guardianaerospace.net
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Canada Express operated by Jazz Air | Vancouver |
| Central Mountain Air | Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Terrace, Smithers |
| Northern Thunderbird Air | Williston Lake |
| WestJet | Vancouver Seasonal: Las Vegas, Puerto Vallarta |
| Charter flights & Flight School | Charter flights through out British Columbia & Alberta www.guardianaerospace.net |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Airport Divestiture Status Report
- ^ a b c Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 December 2011 to 0901Z 9 February 2012
- ^ Synoptic/Metstat Station Information
- ^ Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers
- ^ Horizon Air to cancel direct flight to Seattle from Prince George
- ^ http://www.flightsource.ca/blog/flightdeck/?p=792
- ^ http://www.pgairport.ca/Airport_Info/updates.php
- ^ Fire Destroys hangar at Prince George Airport
- ^ Northern Thunderbird Air Press Release
[edit] External links
- Guardian Aerospace; Flight School/ Air Charters
- Prince George Airport
- FlightSource Aviation Photo Database
- Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Prince George Airport from NAV CANADA as available.
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