Vancouver’s YVR is Canada’s Most Efficient Airport

August 5th, 2013 § 0 comments

The ATRS Global Airport Benchmarking Report has identified YVR as Canada’s leader in efficiency. UBC’s Professor Tae Oum of the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS) reports that Vancouver International Airport charged airlines about $400 in landing fees for a Boeing 737-800 in the 2012 operational year, in contrast to approximately $700 at Montreal (YUL) and $2,000 at Toronto’s Pearson (YYZ).

The Air Transport Research Society was established in 1995 at UBC’s Sauder School to initiate research on air transportation. Its Global Airport Benchmarking Report was first released five years later in 2000. The report compares the operational efficiency and cost competitiveness of airports in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

A US Airways domestic flight awaiting a cargo load at the gate.

The report indicates that higher efficiency airports are more likely to get a large share of total revenues from concession and other retail activities. Vancouver’s YVR receives 54% from such sources compared to 46% at Montreal’s YUL and 33% at YYZ in Toronto. Professor Oum adds, “We can also see that airports that outsource terminal services, ground handling and other services also achieve high efficiency.” The rankings are used by airport and airlines executives, governments, consultants, institutional investors and researchers and is reported to be the most comprehensive independent evaluation of global airport performance.

More efficient airports offer lower aircraft landing fees and reduced terminal services costs, allowing for the possibility that airlines pass on reductions on fare prices on to travelers. Airports with increased ability to do so are also indicated to receive a larger share of revenue from parking, office rentals, and real estate development. Vancouver charges airlines $14.11 per passenger, close to half that of Toronto which levies $33.34.

The stark difference in the price of seats on flights originating in Vancouver in comparison to those taking-off south of the US-Canada border, dampens demand and induces people to border-hop using cost-effective short-range buses (think Boltbus) in order to save on overall travel costs. The cost difference increases significantly when comparing long-distance intercontinental trips, with the airfare higher if the flight departs from YVR as opposed to Seattle (SEA), the closest international airport aside from Victoria, just of 200 km south of the metropolis.

 

 

 

Sources:

Global study ranks world’s most efficient airports (UBC News)

YVR top performing airport in Canada (Vancouver Sun)

 

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