Yvr - "vancouver International Airport"

[deasine]

YVR Airport:

Recently, one of the Richmond Coun. wanted YVR to change it's name from Vancouver International Airport to Vancouver-Richmond International Airport. Global News Prodcasted it today. The said it makes sense, then YVR's nickname will be "Your Vancouver Richmond Airport"

Personal Opinion: Ridiculous. It's good if we just started to build an airport. But having YVR now change it's name will be hard. It will just be referred to as Vancouver International Airport to everyone, just like when Science World change it's name to Telesphere (everyone continued to refer it to Science World and many against the name changing) and then now as to the Telus, World of Science. But I like the Your Vancouver Richmond Airport. Made me laugh

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Now, the reason I started this post? To also talk about the expansion and it's ratings. I'll post the expanding of the airport later. But if anyone (mr. x =D) would like to put information and renderings about the expansion of the airport, the Canada YVR Line, etc., you may feel free to do so.

[mr.x]

i heard about it too and it's completely retarded. names are suppose to be simple, and if you ask me Richmond politicians are thinking too highly of themselves. The airport was named "Vancouver International" simply because 1) that's the name of the region (Greater Vancouver Regional District) and 2) the region's metropolis is the City of Vancouver.

"Vancouver-Richmond" sounds so stupid.

Vancouver-Richmond International Airport will still be YVR

Sep, 12 2006 - 1:30 AM

RICHMOND/CKNW(AM980) - Richmond Council wants to rename Vancouver International Airport to reflect the fact that the Airport is actually in Richmond.

As part of their feedback on YVR's latest expansion plans, Richmond Council has requested the Airport and the Federal Government to consider in their long-term plans to change the name of the Airport to the Vancouver-Richmond International Airport.

According to Councillor Rob Howard, Richmond is on the rise, especially with the coming Olympics, "The RAV Line solidifies our connections to the Airport and to Vancouver. And, I think that when we look down the road, the Richmond name will have some cache' internationally."

Howard admits it could take a long time for anything to come of the request, but he says it's worth making.

[deasine]

Exactly. If Richmond was the second largest city or even the largest city in the GVRD, then I would say go ahed and request to change a name. It's not even bigger than Surrey yet =P, and now they want a name change? But I have to say the Your Vancouver Richmond Airport is funny.

[mr.x]

Exactly. If Richmond was the second largest city or even the largest city in the GVRD, then I would say go ahed and request to change a name. It's not even bigger than Surrey yet =P, and now they want a name change? But I have to say the Your Vancouver Richmond Airport is funny.

in another article, Richmond councillor Rob Howard also said "Richmond’s downtown is slated to grow larger than Vancouver's."

[deasine]

Bull ****.... Let's see which one is larger after a tsunami wipes out GVRD. Now even the 'larger' downtown will become deserted.

[deasine]

YVR plans to add more check in points, including baggage check in by 2009. Passanges by 2010 can be dropped off at Templeton Station and ride the Canada Line to YVR without the hassle of checking in bags and tickets at the airport, they can do so at Templeton Stations.

[mr.x]

Link building ties buildings and transit together

Jean Sorensen

Correspondent

Passengers arriving from the Canada Line at VIA will disembark from the elevated guide way station and walk into a new $100 facility that provides a spectacular view of B.C.’s best artistic talent and natural beauty. The YVR line connects to the Link building’s upper-floor mezzanine via a covered walkway. Once inside and within the Link’s balcony area, passengers will be able to look around – and down – at the large atrium created in the building and used as a focal point within. This attraction houses the building’s totem pole carved by Don Yeomans. The floor has been tiled to resemble the ocean’s seaweed. While the atrium lighting gives the illusion of the northern aurora borealis. Together, the facility brings together the themes of land, sea and sky. This atrium area is also expected to prove popular with “meet and greet” arrivals and guests.

The five-storey Link building is also the lynch-pin bringing together the two major terminals (International and Domestic) within the airport. Top floors are reserved for office space, while the entrance level from the transit line is also a passenger check-in area. The lower level below provides baggage handling. “Our budget is $117.7 million and we are 50 per cent complete,” says Cowan, adding that the facility should be opened by summer 2007.

Kasian Architecture is providing the design for the Link building, while Keen Engineering is providing the mechanical, R.A. Duff and Associates the electrical, and Ledcor Industries is the general contractor.

Cowan says the Link building – with its ability to provide almost seamless travel for arriving and departing passengers – “stacks up with the best of them” when other international airport transit stations are considered.

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Vancouver Airport Brings B.C. and First Nations design into $1 billion revamp

Jean Sorensen

Correspondent

Vancouver International Airport Authority is spending $1 billion on capital expenditure improvements, but when work is finished – on the cusp of the Olympics – the Authority will land not just a state-of-the-art airport as a simple transit point but a transit attraction.

Vancouver International Airport (VIA) will still offer all the features of a modern international airport but its terminals will showcase striking architecture, native art, and such features as an aquarium displaying B.C. coastal aquatic life. The upgrade, showing off B.C.’s talents and natural attributes, will accommodate an increased volume of traffic as traffic is expected to climb from 17 to 21 million passengers annually by 2010. Current capacity is being fully utilized and projections indicate that B.C. will develop more tourism and commercial links within the Asia Pacific area to which VIA is the major gateway.

Bob Cowan, VIA Authority senior vice-president of engineering, describes how the new revamped airport will leave a lasting impression on B.C. visitors.

“When there has been a need for increased capacity or restoration, we have carried them out using the YVR style of building, and the YVR style is to build in a way that reflects the company. We are trying to bring a bit of what is B.C. and the First Nations into the current design,” he says.

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Glass loading bridges for jumbo jets

Jean Sorensen

Correspondent

Things are bigger and better at the International terminal. It is going through a $420 million expansion with the addition of a new wing and nine new gates. Phase I, expected to complete in March-June 2007, will see the first of four new gates added, with two designed to handle the coming generation of wide-bodied, double-decker jetliners (A380s) arriving from large-volume markets such as China.

The gates will feature something new to Vancouver - glass, loading bridges serving both upper and lower decks of the jumbo jets. An enhanced baggage handling and screening system has also been installed to expedite the millions of pieces of luggage flowing through the international airport terminal annually. Phase II (the other five gates) could be completed as early as 2009, before B.C. hosts the 2010 Olympics.

The 30,000 square-metre new wing – double the size of Vancouver’s convention centre – will also bring under its roof a B.C. meandering coastal stream (albeit man-made) flowing through the interior. Departing passengers will move through the building enjoying the stream and seating areas along the flowing water. The Fog Woman and Raven, a yellow-cedar carving of a creek woman, by B.C. master carver Dempsey Bob, will be added to the stream scene but will also be another piece of distinctive B.C. artwork joining that of Bill Reid, the 20-foot long canoe sculpture known as Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe, which is on display at the terminal food court.

“We are building a piece of B.C. in the terminal building,” says Cowan, who is over-seeing the $1 billion expansion, addition, and upgrade of facilities.

Where the stream ends, it flows into an aquarium. “This is a substantial aquarium,” says Cowan. Along with a jellyfish tank, the aquatic show will provide visitors to B.C. with an insight into the wide range of indigenous marine life offered. The terminal project – which includes a kilometre of moving sidewalk – is currently 75 per cent complete. The design is by Stantec Architecture, structural engineering by Bush Bowan, mechanical engineering by Keen Engineering, and electrical engineering is by R.A. Duff and Associates, while PCL Constructors Westcoast are serving as general contractors.

[deasine]

Looks like the Vancouver International Airport is managing better than VANOC! Lol!

Glass loading bridges and state-of-the-art baggage handling reminds me of Hong Kong International Airport.

YVR is spending an awful amount of money for art. But that's good in a sense that it shows the best and the historic BC.

[mr.x]

Looks like the Vancouver International Airport is managing better than VANOC! Lol!

Glass loading bridges and state-of-the-art baggage handling reminds me of Hong Kong International Airport.

YVR is spending an awful amount of money for art. But that's good in a sense that it shows the best and the historic BC.

And I'm happy that they're spending quite a bit on art and designing a beautiful airport. This is where millions of people get their first impression of Vancouver and BC each year.

YVR Link Building Phase II Construction: late-October 2006

When completed:

[Kenadian]

Missed this one. Renaming the airport with Richmond in mind is dumb. Most people are flying into visit or do business in Vancouver, not Richmond. Why not Lulu Island International Airport, since it is actually on Lulu Island. Of course, no one visits or does business there either.

[IceNarcissus]

The renaming isn't such a bad thing, its more of a minor annoyance when having to refer to the airport properly.

I smell SeaTac 2: THE REBIRTH OF DOUBLE MONIKER AIRPORTS.

[Kenadian]

No, its stupid. Richmond is only a suburban city, not the main metropolis. They are just trying to promote themselves to something they are not.

[VAN_GUY_2010]

No, its stupid. Richmond is only a suburban city, not the main metropolis. They are just trying to promote themselves to something they are not.

How bout a comprimise.... Lets rename the South Terminal the "Richmond Terminal"... haha that would please the masses...

[Kenadian]

Or end it all and have Vancouver annex Sea Island (I mistakenly said Lulu Island before) ; )

[VAN_GUY_2010]

But with the Airport comes Burkeville... and who wants Burkeville? haha

[mr.x]

i hope Burkeville will eventually be riddened off.

[mr.x]

YVR eyes creating runway across habitat

Although the airport said it expects broad public support, one environmental group calls it 'madness'

William Boei, Vancouver Sun

Published: Friday, November 10, 2006

Vancouver International Airport is considering building a $1.2-billion runway more than four kilometres into the Strait of Georgia, over the sensitive fish and wildlife habitat of Sturgeon Bank.

The foreshore runway would extend 4,270 metres west from the dike on the ocean side of Sea Island, according to YVR planning documents. It would be 60 metres wide and capable of handling aircraft in use now and anticipated in the future.

Although the airport said it expects broad public support for the foreshore option, one environmental group calls it "madness," while the City of Richmond and the Greater Vancouver Regional District are urging the airport to consider other options.

The foreshore runway is one of three options the Vancouver International Airport Authority is keeping open in its draft 20-year master plan, which extends airport planning to 2027.

The other two options are for runways of either 2,740 metres or 2,130 metres to be built on Sea Island south of existing runways. The south runway options would cost $300 million or less, but would create new noise problems for residents in nearby Richmond.

The airport expects to reach capacity on existing runways by about 2022 to 2025, even if it improves the runways and taxiways to boost capacity from 400,000 takeoffs and landings a year to about 450,000, the planning documents say.

The airport saw 275,000 landings and takeoffs in 2005, and demand is forecast to rise to 484,000 by 2027.

A 10- to 15-year head start is needed to get a runway built, said Anne Murray, the airport's vice-president for community and environmental affairs, and a runway decision will probably not be made until 2012 to 2015.

"We don't want to build something if it's not required," Murray said. "We don't need to make that decision yet."

Adding a runway to a major airport can be a decades-long process. For example, YVR's north runway, opened in 1996, required some 50 years of planning, government input, public hearings, and construction, according to the airport authority.

The foreshore runway would boost capacity by about 210,000 takeoffs and landings to more than 600,000, which is expected to meet demand until 2044.

Preliminary studies showed the foreshore option, by moving takeoffs and landings away from residential areas, would reduce the number of people bothered by airport noise by 7.6 per cent, while a south runway would increase noise problems by up to 12 per cent.

Because of the noise factor, the 20-year plan said, the foreshore runway was "likely to fare well with public opinion because of its minimal impact on residential areas in Vancouver and Richmond, despite the other environmental impacts."

The document doesn't detail them, but it says there are "significant environmental impacts on the foreshore and river habitat, and these would have to be well mitigated before approval for such a project would be forthcoming."

However, the Vancouver Natural History Society says in a letter to the airport that the foreshore runway "would destroy a large area of Sturgeon Bank, which is part of one of the richest wildlife habitats in Canada."

"The Delta foreshore, including Sturgeon Bank, supports millions of overwintering, migratory and resident birds and is a key stopover on the Pacific Flyway," the society said, warning that the runway also risks a serious bird-strike problem that could kill thousands of birds.

"It's madness," said John Werring, a salmon conservation biologist with the David Suzuki Foundation, adding that the foreshore runway is the most environmentally destructive runway option available.

Werring said it would mean extensive damage to bird habitat, resident and migratory, and that "Sturgeon Bank is one of the most sensitive areas for fish habitat," including green sturgeon.

The airport would have to keep birds away from the runway to prevent collisions with aircraft, and whether it does that by killing birds or firing boom cannons, it will affect an area much larger than the runway itself, he said. A fuel spill or plane crash on or near the runway could be devastating to wildlife.

Regional district staff say the runway would affect the operations of Iona Beach Regional Park. It would require the Iona sewage outfall jetty -- part of the park -- to be relocated, and would have "significant impacts on the aquatic and migratory bird habitats in this part of the Fraser River Estuary."

A GVRD staff report says the airport should wait for a regional airport strategy to be developed, which could lead to smaller airports handling more small aircraft to ease the load on the international airport.

Richmond city council has rejected a staff recommendation to endorse the foreshore runway.

"They were concerned about the environmental impact," said Richmond spokesman Ted Townsend.

Council was also unhappy about the potential noise from a south runway.

"They weren't convinced of the actual need for a third runway," Townsend said. "There was some feeling that perhaps capacity issues could be addressed by other regional airports."

Murray said other airports in the region are in the picture, but many of the small aircraft that now use the international airport connect to national and international flights and can't use other airports.

"Even with those other airports," she said, "we think we'll need a new runway at YVR about 2025."

Murray said the airport is aware of environmental concerns and agreed that a south runway -- especially the shorter option -- would have much less environmental impact. "But it moves the noise closer to the community."

bboei@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

[Guardian]

I heard that the YVR will have more runways constructed to accomodate the A380, which landed in Vancouver yesterday:

Link: CBC: World's Largest Airliner Visits Vancouver

However, will the Asian international air carriers that have ordered some of them A380s for their fleets, will even land in Canada? Our lovely Global National TV news program yesterday says, "No."

Edited November 30, 2006 by Guardian

[mr.x]

I heard that the YVR will have more runways constructed to accomodate the A380, which landed in Vancouver yesterday:

Link: CBC: World's Largest Airliner Visits Vancouver

However, will the Asian international air carriers that have ordered some of them A380s for their fleets, will even land in Canada? Our lovely Global National TV news program yesterday says, "No."

Yes, we are planning to spend $4 billion to build a fourth runway out to sea....it'll be huge.

[Guardian]

I can see that, unlike those guys at Global. I guess the A380's popularity rose briefly amongst the airplane fans that lined up at the YVR area to take photos and/or camcorder movies of it landing there.

[deasine]

Even if we might not have the A380's here in the short term, I'm sure they will land in the long term. Our airport is growing because of the huge demand, maybe we will get the A380s landing here...

[mr.x]

^ we will. we're one of the few airports in North America able to handle the A380. these airports all have the same or longer runway length, but not the same width. we have 200 feet, others have 150 feet...50 feet short.

[deasine]

Not a lot has happened at YVR, but they released a video (not sure when) abou the LINK Building Design. View video form YVR: http://www.yvr.ca/authority/news/whatsnew....id=linkbuilding

Background Information:

- five stories

- the building will provide more additional check-in facilities to the international terminal (the 'check-in area' design in the LinK building is similar to the one in the Domestic Terminal)

- it will connect with the YVR-Airport Canada Line Station

- implement native west-coast art (this theme is seen throughout the airport and olympics art)

- new passenger screening area, baggage area, and office area

- finish by this summer

Images:

LinK Building during Opening

Link Building w/ Covered Walkway to Canada Line Station (2009)

Please also see this brochere with information regarding Link Building as well as the International Phase expansion with four new gates (two which can accomodate the Airbus A380): http://www.yvr.ca/pdf/authority/Building_Gateway_Jan06.pdf

[deasine]

*Correction:

Link Building w/ Covered Walkway to Canada Line Station (2009)

[mr.x]

I hope the new international terminal wing will be finished by the time i'm going to Asia this spring break. They said they would finish by spring 2007.