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Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) completed a major step in its development on Nov. 16 with the inauguration of YQB 2018, the biggest construction project in its history. It involved the investment of $277 million, years of preparation, months of work and the talent of thousands of people in order to deliver a major, complex but necessary upgrade–on time and on budget.
Thanks to the 550,000 hours worked on-site since 2015, the YQB 2018 project has made it possible to position the airport as a world-class facility that is second to none, ready to welcome the two million passengers who will pass through its doors between now and 2020.
“The successful completion of this project is based in large part on the commitment and support of the business community in the greater Québec City area and the assistance received from political and business leaders in the region. I would like to thank the governments of Canada and Québec for believing in our plan and renewing their support for our organization, with investments of $50 million from each level of government. I also thank the City of Québec, with which we will work more closely in the future to ensure the strategic development of our infrastructures, for the benefit of the region as a whole. And to all business people in the region, I say thank you for creating the conditions for our success and acting as ambassadors for our vision,” said André Fortin, chairman of the board of directors of Aéroport de Québec Inc.
“Inspired by our vision of passenger first, we have chosen to create a world-calibre infrastructure to join the top 10 of the country’s most visited airports. YQB 2018 will accelerate the transformation of our organization and drive our growth, for the benefit of all our passengers. By extending and investing in the airport, we will stimulate competition between carriers, and this will be reflected in the price of your ticket,” added Gaëtan Gagné, president and chief executive officer of Aéroport de Québec Inc.
A sustainable approach, an intuitive process, and cutting-edge technology
YQB 2018 involved a dozen interlinked construction and information technology projects, including the resurfacing of the airport’s runways. The project will provide four new passenger gates; self-serve check-in kiosks; automated self-service customs kiosks; charging stations for smartphones and tablets; bigger food courts offering a wider range of meals; more baggage carrousels serving international flights; a more user-friendly and better-designed customs area; a duty-free store that is four times larger; a larger capacity luggage area; automated baggage drop-off facilities; and dynamic communications and signage systems, including the YQB mobile application.
YQB 2018 was implemented using an innovative building information modeling (BIM) approach, for the first time ever in Québec for such a large project. It will raise the stakes in terms of sustainable development, since it relies on geothermal heat, automated lighting, heat recovery and the controlled intake of fresh air.
In the meantime …
Despite the ongoing work, YQB has continued to grow, with passenger numbers reaching 1.6 million in 2016. The airport has been expanding at an average rate of 6.3 per cent per year since 2000, and it now has over 420 flights per week to around 30 direct destinations, as well as worldwide access through other hubs.
It also helps generate thousands of jobs and substantial economic benefits.
“Today, we are ready as never before to respond to the rapid growth in worldwide travel, to attract new players and, above all, to offer an outstanding passenger experience. I would like to thank my team and the thousands of workers who have brought this vision to life. Your talent and enthusiasm, fuelled by your focus on excellence and new methods, have made it a privilege to work alongside you. We can now concentrate on our next goal: a U.S. customs pre-clearance facility to accelerate our growth and make us the country’s ninth largest airport,” concluded Gagné.
