The Victoria Airport Authority consultative committee met on Oct. 30 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. The meeting was one of two that happen each year. The committee is made up of 12 board members from nine governing bodies from all over Greater Victoria.
• The airport authority is currently working on an $8.1 million terminal improvement project. The focus is on improving the pre-board screening area, the food and beverage area in the departure lounge, improvements to the upper passenger departure lounge and to stairs and escalators. The project is expected to be finished by early 2014.
• The committee spoke about the runway expansion project. Currently, Victoria International Airport has the shortest runway of any capital city in Canada at 7,000 ft. The airport authority hopes to expand the runway to attract larger flights to Victoria. The maximum length the runway could be expanded to with the space the airport has is 8,500 ft.
• Christine Stoneman, past chair of the committee left her post in June. Lynn Henderson joined the committee on July 1.
• The committee reported the airport’s forecasted revenue for the year to be $23.4 million dollars. $7.4 million of that comes from airport improvement fees charged to passengers. $7.1 million comes from concession and parking fees and $3 million comes from land rentals.
• The multi-use path that weaves around the airport should be completed by Aug. 2013. When completed, the path will run 9.3 km total.
• The next public meeting of the Victoria Airport Authority is their annual general public meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Mary Winspear Centre.