Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) has announced it is investing C$19.4m (US$15.3m) over the next 27 months to expand the lower passenger departure lounge at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, to meet the growing number of passengers at the airport.
The project includes adding 1,765m² (19,000ft²) to the existing lower passenger departure lounge, providing dedicated aircraft gates and covered walkways, new washrooms, and additional food & beverage and retail.
“The upsizing of aircraft from 30-50-seat Dash-8s to 76-80-seat Q400s, combined with passenger growth, has driven the need to expand our lower passenger departures lounge,” said VAA president and CEO Geoff Dickson. “This is part of a multi-phase terminal and apron expansion plan.
“The need to improve safety on the main aircraft apron, and create efficiencies for passengers entering and exiting the passenger departure lounge, resulted in the airport recently completing an apron expansion that now accommodates the physical space required to expand the glass departure building north and eliminate the existing covered walkway.
“These improvements will not only improve overall safety and operations but will also enhance the airport experience for our customers by providing additional seating, new accessibility considerations and enhanced concessions.”
The Office of McFarlane Biggar (OMB) Architects in Vancouver was selected to lead the design team and Victoria-based Durwest Construction Management (DCM) will manage the project.
By Hazel King