By Gary Watson | October 17, 2014 Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 35 seconds.
A new departures level seen from the street entrance of the new terminal.
Calgary Airport Authority’s new International Facilities Project—the final phase of a $2 billion airport expansion that also included the construction of Canada’s longest runway—is on time and on budget. A recent advance media tour of the partially completed terminal revealed its sheer size, as well as some notable improvements designed to enhance passenger comfort and operational efficiency. At two million square feet, the new international terminal is twice the size of Calgary’s current terminal (which will revert to strictly domestic use once the new building opens). It has five levels, a unique passenger terminal transportation system, and 22 new gates, two of which are capable of handling Airbus A380 aircraft.
The new building is a smart, ecologically-friendly structure with high ceilings, lined with wood paneling to reduce noise. Most of the heating for the terminal is supplied via 520 kilometres (323 miles) of under-floor piping, heated by more than 500 subterranean geo-thermal wells. A half million litres (132,086 gallons) of rainwater will be collected from the roof to supply the low-flow plumbing fixtures. The majority of daytime lighting will be provided by the new structure’s 2,972 square metres (32,000 square feet) of windows.
The front of a new holding area with a view of the ramp to the left.
Unlike many existing airport terminals, this one has been designed to minimize walking distances and for efficient passenger flow, from curbside to gateside. A huge departures hall with many generic check-in positions will alleviate long lineups. After check-in, passengers will receive a boarding pass and will be directed either straight ahead to security for international departures or towards the U.S. pre-departure area. Once through U.S. immigration, customs and security screening, those travelling to the United States will ascend large escalators to a separate level.
Once both sets of passengers have passed through security screening, they will enter large separate holding areas filled with duty free shops, restaurants and waiting areas.
A view of the south side of the new terminal.
“At this point the passengers will not have a gate assignment,” explained Garth Atkinson, Calgary Airport Authority (CAA) president and CEO. “We want them to stay in the holding area until their flight and gate number is announced. This ensures maximum utilization of the gates.”
From an arrivals perspective, baggage handling will be enhanced by a state-of-the-art system which is already undergoing testing. It utilizes tote trays, with each one carrying a single bag over nine kilometers of track, with a capacity of 4,000 bags per hour. After watching trays whiz by at “warp” speed this is quite believable.
Garth Atkinson, president and CEO, Calgary Airport Authority.
The CAA estimates it will take 18 minutes to walk from one side of the terminal to the other, along the 1,968-foot (600-metre) corridor. Eight moving walkways, each 164 feet (50 metres) long, will hasten the journey. To further improve passenger flow, the CAA is installing a Compact Transit System consisting of small 10-passenger vehicles that will travel back and forth on a regular service schedule, crossing from one side to the other in just five minutes with only four station stops. The CTS will be available to all passengers.
To date, international terminal construction crews have worked more than 6.9 million hours. All major structural steel has been installed and the building’s interior and exterior is approximately 70 per cent complete. Once completed, numerous restaurants, bars, and shops will be built.
Atkinson said the CAA should be able to fix a facility opening date in about a year. In the meantime, there are thousands of terminal, airline and support staff to train.
A beautiful view from the new terminal building looking south with Calgary and the
Rockies in the distance.
