Edmonton International Airport (YEG)

Edmonton International Airport, or otherwise referred to as EIA, has the IATA code of YEG and the ICAO code of CYEG. It is found in the province of Alberta (AB), Canada, approximately 26km, or 16 miles south southwest of downtown Edmonton. The airport is the fifth largest in the country in terms of passenger traffic, and is served by a significant number of airline carriers. The airline companies offer flights from here to over fifty destinations in Canada, the United States, Latin America and Europe. The facilities are well equipped and offers several options for ground transportation.

The airport is found in the county of Leduc, south of Edmonton, and is considered as north of Red Deer and the large city of Calgary. The towns of Beaumont and Devon are nearby, and Sherwood Park and Spruce Grove are found to the east and west of the city. St Albert and Fort Saskatchewan are to the north. Edmonton is one of the most northerly of Canadian cities, and is rated as the sixth largest in the country in terms of population. It is a thriving city in regards to business, as well as a city that attracts many tourists, as it features a number of interesting aspects, including the largest Canadian sports stadium and the largest indoor amusement park, known as Galaxyland.

Edmonton Airport can easily be accessed by motor vehicle, as it is just off the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, and there are several parking lots available on the airport grounds. The Parkade is nearest to the terminal buildings, while the Value Park offers more affordable parking rates. There is no train station at on site (Vancouver International is the only airport in Canada with a railway connection), but there are several bus options. The SkyShuttle runs to locations in downtown Edmonton, and the EIA Express Route 747 serves the Century Park Transit Centre. Taxis can also be taken to and from the terminals.

Transport Canada is the owner of the Edmonton International, however, it is managed and operated by the company of Edmonton Airports. Another three airports are managed by this company as well, and they include the Edmonton City Centre Airport, Cooking Lake Airport and Villeneuve Airport. Edmonton is the largest and the newest of four, and was established in 1960. The city centre one was just too small to handle new-age aircraft, and had no room for development, as the city surrounded it on all sides. It is located just northwest of the downtown. 7,600 acres of land was purchased nearby Leduc for the new airport, which makes it one of the largest airfields in terms of land size. More than half of the grounds are still under cultivation. The original terminal was 370,000 square feet, and too large for its number of passengers. However, by 1974 passenger traffic exceeded 1.1 million, and by 1980, the airport was handling over 2 million passengers. The terminal building was expanded in 1983.

By 1999, the airport had once again reached its full capacity of 2.5 million passengers per annum, and was now handling over 3.8 million passengers. A major construction program was set into motion to build a second terminal to be referred to as the South Terminal. WestJet, the airline carrier with the majority of destinations from the destination, was then the principle tenant of the North Terminal, while Air Canada and other international carriers moved to the new South Terminal. Further developments included a Central Hall for retail services, passenger screening operations and commuter carriers, as well as a new cargo apron. Since 2007, Edmonton International has handled over six million passengers per annum, with approximately 4.8 million comprising of domestic travellers and about a million travelling on transborder flights. Just under 400,000 international travellers are recorded each year.

Edmonton Airport is still under construction, as a $1.1 billion expansion plan was approved in October 2007. By 2012 a concourse linking the two terminal buildings will be completed, and there will be thirteen new aircraft bridges, a new apron for aircraft parking, further car parking facilities and more room for retail outlets, including shops and restaurants. A new central tower will also be housing control tower facilities at the top and further passenger facilities on the lower levels, including an observation deck from where aircraft activities can be viewed, and by 2013, the airport will have a new hotel, known as the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, with 210 comfortable and spacious rooms. The hotel will be adjacent to the North Terminal, and will feature banquet and meeting facilities, a full-service restaurant, a fitness facility, an indoor pool and airline check-in facilities. It will be connected to the terminal by a heated pedway. In future years, the airport will also be the location of Port Alberta, a new gateway for cargo transportation.

WestJet is Edmonton International Airport’s largest airline carrier, offering flights to Canadian and U.S. destinations that include Calgary, Kelowna, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, Yellowknife, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Phoenix. Las Vegas and Phoenix are two of the busiest routes. Additional airline companies present and their destinations include Air Canada with flights to London, Ottawa and Toronto, Air Canada Express to various local destinations, Air Transat with seasonal flights to London, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana and Montego Bay, Canadian North, Central Mountain Air, Horizon Air to Seattle, Compass Airlines with flights to Minneapolis, First Air, Northwestern Air and United Airlines with flights to Houston-International. Shuttle America, SkyWest Airlines and US Airways serve American destinations as well.

Edmonton is well equipped with facilities for the needs of its passengers. It is one of eight in the country with U.S. Border Preclearance facilities, and U.S. Quick Connect services allow connecting passengers travelling to U.S. destinations to remain behind security, and with no need to re-check their baggage. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the terminals, along with the Maple Leaf Lounge, automated bank tellers, currency exchange services, free WiFi connections, baggage storage facilities, a chapel and two stage areas, where live performances are often held. Edmonton Airport is accessible to disabled passengers as well.

True to the spirit of Canadian airports, Edmonton International is circulated by friendly Northern Lights volunteers who can assist with most enquiries, and information booths are found at various points in the terminals. The airport can be contacted at the following telephone numbers: 780-890-8382 and 1 800 268 7134 (toll free for residents of North America).