[Habanero]

Yes, thanks to Banff. Otherwise Calgary would be on the same level as Edmonton.

Without Banff the gap between the two airports wouldn’t as stark as it is today, but Calgary would still be the busier airport. How much busier is the question. Without Banff and without Westjet ever happening my guess is there would be about 25-30% difference due to Cakgary being the business hub, but it’s all irrelevant.
Things we do know. Banff exists, Westjet exists and Calgary is the finance and head office capital of the province. as someone already said, the reasons for the difference are irrelevant.

 

[Beltline_B]

Does anyone know why Edmonton built their airport where it is today?

The International Civil Aviation Organization has a recommendation of 40 kms minimum between major airports. It’s not enforced, but is generally followed.
Some countries have specific regulations, but I don’t know if Canada has one or not.

 

[AtlanticAvenue]

I can add onto that, it's for 3 main reasons. When EIA was built in the 1960's, Blatchford Field/ Edmonton City Centre airport still had a number of major airlines serving routes from it. For air traffic spacing and predictability (which was much harder to fly and visualize for ATC controllers in the 1960's) they were built as far apart as they were. This meant aircraft flying instrument approaches via a NDB or VOR didn't over lap. This is less of an issue today and most approaches at major airports are flown via satellite navigation and set waypoints, which the plane basically flys too.

Blantchford was confined for space and had no room to expand, when YEG was chosen as the new site for a larger airport it was cheap land signed away on a gentleman's agreement from farmers, primary because they would have room to grow the airport expansively for years forward.

There was also the RCAF Namao (CFB Edmonton) North of the city.

 

[Albertasaurus]

Pointing out that Calgary's airport wouldn't be as busy as it is without Banff is a moot point. Would Vancouver be the west's biggest city if it didn't have the ocean next to it? Would Ottawa still have become a large city if Queen Victoria hadn't decided to move the capital there? Would Toronto still have usurped Montreal to become the biggest city in the country if the threat of Quebec separatism hadn't sent all the big banks moving down the 401?

The answers to all of those are either a "maybe" or a "no". Cities grow and decline due to a variety of historical, geographic, economic and political factors. A lot of people theorize that Regina could have become the biggest city in the Prairies rather than Calgary if only SK had been more aggressive with its O&G development back in the '60s. Such "what might have beens" are fun to speculate about but ultimately redundant.

 

[darwink]

Does anyone know why Edmonton built their airport where it is today?

It was built when the aircraft of each generation were getting louder, and were expected to get even louder as supersonic transports proliferated.

The one time I heard a 737-200 without a hush kit take off, you know, I very much would have agreed at that point in time!

 

[LocalLoafer]

Are there any other avgeeks on the forum?

It was built when the aircraft of each generation were getting louder, and were expected to get even louder as supersonic transports proliferated.

The one time I heard a 737-200 without a hush kit take off, you know, I very much would have agreed at that point in time!

This is a point I forgot about. It's funny how things ended up playing out in that regard. I flew on a Max 8 and a 737 NG back to back recently and it is almost laughable how much louder the old equipment is. My stepfather was a long time pilot who first flew 727's when moving to jets, I joke frequently that the hardness of hearing must be a result of those.

 

[AtlanticAvenue]

Are there any other avgeeks on the forum?

Guilty as charged.

 

[AtlanticAvenue]

Runway 17R/35L started its rehabilitation work yesterday and is now fully shutdown for it, so all traffic will be routed onto 17L/35R.
Sound be interesting watching the counter flow during peak hours!

This is a full rehab so the runway will be essentially re-built as in its current state its at the end of its life.

 

[DougB]

It was built when the aircraft of each generation were getting louder, and were expected to get even louder as supersonic transports proliferated.

The one time I heard a 737-200 without a hush kit take off, you know, I very much would have agreed at that point in time!

Edmonton was also growing like mad in the 60s and was expected to add several million people on its southern boundary. Highway 2 between Leduc and Edmonton has an extra wide median, built to accommodate a future collector-distributor configuration like the SW Calgary Ring Road. Edmonton had boundless optimism back then.

 

[UrbanWarrior]

Yes, thanks to Banff. Otherwise Calgary would be on the same level as Edmonton.

And New York wouldn’t be the business capital of the planet if it were in Antarctica. Thankfully New York is where it is, and so is Banff/The Rockies. Lmfao

 

[AtlanticAvenue]

New route alert!

WestJet has added Fredriction (YFC) New Brunswick as a summer seasonal route. Given how well Moncton (YQM) has done it seems like a logical addition.

This also replaces the service Lynx provided now that they are gone, although theirs had a stop in Toronto, this is direct.

Twice weekly service from 20JUN24 to 28OCT24.

YYC-YFC 0915-1700 days 24
YFC-YYC 1750-2005 days 24

https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...872813306.html

 

[Chowda7]

If they did add additional 787s wouldn’t there be potential opportunities in the winter to places like Australia/New Zealand/Fiji etc?

I can see them adding a Hong Kong flight in the near future to serve everyone the Chinese population. I know quite a few people who immigrated to Calgary the past few years because of the protests in Hong Kong. Add to that the large number of Chinese international students in Edmonton.

Plus I believe Calgary and Winnipeg have the two largest Filipino populations in Canada. So can see that as a really good connecting flight since there's also a large number of Filipinos who live in Hong Kong.

 

[KrisYYC]

Are there any other avgeeks on the forum?


This is a point I forgot about. It's funny how things ended up playing out in that regard. I flew on a Max 8 and a 737 NG back to back recently and it is almost laughable how much louder the old equipment is. My stepfather was a long time pilot who first flew 727's when moving to jets, I joke frequently that the hardness of hearing must be a result of those.

Here. I also work for an airline.

 

[Albertasaurus]

I can see them adding a Hong Kong flight in the near future to serve everyone the Chinese population. I know quite a few people who immigrated to Calgary the past few years because of the protests in Hong Kong. Add to that the large number of Chinese international students in Edmonton.

Plus I believe Calgary and Winnipeg have the two largest Filipino populations in Canada. So can see that as a really good connecting flight since there's also a large number of Filipinos who live in Hong Kong.

Wouldn't a Manila flight make more sense?

 

[darwink]

Wouldn't a Manila flight make more sense?

Too much friends and family demand without much business demand to fill the front of the bus.