Calgary International Airport Arrivals (YYC)

Calgary Airport is located in the city of Calgary, and is one of Canada’s major airports. It is the largest and most important gateway to the Alberta region of the country, and is rated as the fourth busiest in the country in terms of passenger traffic. It is also the third busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements. A number of popular attractions are found in and around Calgary, and therefore many passengers are tourists. Calgary Airport arrival flights come from all other major cities in Canada, as well as international and U.S. destinations. The airport arrival areas are well equipped for the needs of their passengers, and several very convenient ground transport options are available.

Calgary Airport, with the official code of YYC, is found approximately 17km, or 11 miles northeast of downtown Calgary, and is very nearby to the city areas of Martindale, Whitehorn, Vista Heights, Tuxedo Park and Beddington Heights. To the west of the airport grounds is the Nose Hill Park, and to the south are the golf courses of Silverwing and McCall Lake. Calgary is generally a very attractive Canadian city, with plenty of green areas, as well as a very modern city, with several skyscrapers. Its main tourist attractions include the Olympic Plaza where the 1988 Olympic Game’s medal presentation was held, and it features a large wading pool that becomes an ice-skating rink in the winter, the Calgary Tower with an observatory, planetarium and revolving restaurant and the Big Rock Brewery, where tours and tasting sessions are enjoyed. The Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre is a popular place to visit as well. Passengers arrive at Calgary Airport to travel to the nearby and famous Canadian Rockies as well. Banff townsite offers excellent skiing opportunities and magnificent scenery.

Calgary Airport arrival flights are offered by a large range of airline carriers. The airport is a hub for Air Canada and Air Canada Express, and is the headquarters for the carrier WestJet. These three airline companies travel from many Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Kamloops, Kelowna and Winnipeg. They also travel from U.S. destinations, such as Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Additional airline companies which fly to Calgary Airport include Air North, Air Transat, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines, KLM, United Airlines, US Airways and Sunwing Airlines. Flights also arrive from Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tokyo, Glasgow, Cancun, Denver, Chicago and San Francisco.

Passengers could arrive at one of four concourses at the Calgary Airport terminal building. They are named as Concourses A, B, C and D, and all handle departure and arrival flights. Concourse A handles many of the domestic arrivals, while Concourse B is home to flights by Air Canada and Air Canada Express. Concourse D has U.S. Border Preclearance facilities, and Terminal D is often used for international flights, as well as for flights arriving from U.S. destinations.

The large airport terminal is filled with useful facilities for airport passengers. On the arrivals level, there is a Coat and Luggage service available, kiosks which serve as greeting and/or information stations, Lost and Found services, the Visitor Reception Centre offering information regarding tourist attractions, city accommodation and restaurants in Calgary and currency exchange services. There are also wireless internet connections throughout the air terminal, a medical clinic, airport lounges and a wide variety of shops and restaurants. Passengers with disabilities are welcome at Calgary Airport, as the terminal is adapted for their needs. There are elevators located nearby all public stairways and escalators, and appropriate restrooms in all concourses. Passengers can also arrange further assistance from their airline company. Level 2 is the arrival level of the terminal, and here the baggage reclaim carousels are found. Look for your flight number displayed on the monitors above the carousels in order to find your luggage. Always check that you are collecting the correct items by checking the baggage tags. There is also a baggage claim office in the baggage claim area for enquiries regarding lost or damaged luggage items.

Passengers who have parked their vehicle at the airport can pay for their period of parking at any of the many Express Machines located on the arrival level, by credit card, or at the exit barrier of the parking area by credit card. There are also manned parking stations available for cash and debit card payments. There are plenty of public transport options from Calgary Airport for arriving passengers. The Route #100 bus travels to the McKnight-Westwinds CTrain Station, the Route #430 bus travels to the Crowfoot CTrain Station and the Route 300 BRT is a limited-stop service to downtown Calgary. Passengers can travel downtown on Allied Airport shuttles as well. Long-distance Red Arrow Motorcoaches offer transport to Red Deer, Edmonton and Lethbridge, and a wide variety of tour buses are available to popular mountainous destinations nearby. Taxis at Calgary Airport are available by Associated Cab, and are found outside of the arrival areas.

Several Calgary Airport car hire companies are available for arriving passengers. They include Hertz, Avis, National, Alamo, Thrifty, Dollar, Europcar, Auto Europa, Budget and Enterprise. They are found at the Car Rental Centre on the departure level, across the roadway of the main terminal building. Passengers can access their car rental company from the elevator lobby as well, which is across from the arrivals roadway. It is quite easy to drive a car in Calgary, as there are many main roads and highways. The Deerfoot Trail Highway is nearby the airport, as well as the Trans-Canada Highway 1. On the western side of the city is the Crowchild Trail NW, while the southern areas are served by the SE Glenmore Trail and the Macleod Trail SE. Parking is available at various areas in the city, alongside the street and in parking lots.

Calgary Airport is often described as one of the friendliest airports in the world, as their White Hat volunteers are always ready to assist, and an official welcoming of visitors can be arranged. The airport has a very elegant hotel as well, known as the Delta Calgary, located on the departures level. It has about 300 sound-proofed guest rooms and a very impressive restaurant. Further details regarding Calgary Airport arrivals can be obtained from the airport (403-735-1200), or the airport’s arrival schedule can be found online.