Edmonton Airport: A Sprawling Aviation Hub

Edmonton International Airport is Canada's largest airport by land mass, covering just under 28 square kilometres (7,000 acres). It is also the fifth busiest airport in the country by passenger traffic, serving 8.2 million passengers per year and offering non-stop flights to 50 destinations worldwide. The airport has five runways and two active terminals, with a total passenger capacity of around 47 million per year. It is important to the commercial and economic fabric of the region and has undergone several expansion projects to meet future demand.

Edmonton International Airport is Canada's largest airport by land area

Covering just under 28 square kilometres (7,000 acres), Edmonton International Airport is Canada's largest airport by land area. It is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, serving 7,919,690 passengers in 2024, and the ninth busiest by aircraft movements. It is also the headquarters for two major Canadian airlines: passenger carrier Flair Airlines and cargo carrier Morningstar Air Express.

Edmonton International Airport is an important hub for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada. It offers scheduled non-stop flights to over 50 destinations worldwide, including major cities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. The airport is located 14 nautical miles south-southwest of Downtown Edmonton in Leduc County on Highway 2, opposite the city of Leduc.

The airport has undergone significant expansion projects to meet the increasing demand and support the region's economic development. The $800 million expansion project included a 25,000 square metre air terminal expansion, a 15,000 square metre air terminal renovation, a 12,000 square metre office tower development, and a 200,000 square metre apron, in addition to numerous aviation-related developments.

The airport is also committed to sustainability and has signed onto the Transport Canada-led global memorandum on establishing international green shipping corridors. Additionally, it has implemented Canada's first complete second-generation three-level Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Hold-Baggage Screening (HBS) system, enhancing security for its passengers.

It is the fifth busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic

The Edmonton International Airport is the fifth busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic. It is Canada's largest major airport by total land area, covering just under 28 square kilometres (7,000 acres). The airport is located 14 nautical miles south-southwest of Downtown Edmonton in Leduc County on Highway 2, opposite the city of Leduc. It is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of the Canadian province of Alberta. The airport serves as a hub for Flair Airlines and WestJet, with the latter and its subsidiaries holding more than 70% of the market share. It also serves as the headquarters for cargo carrier Morningstar Air Express.

In 2024, the Edmonton International Airport served 7,919,690 passengers. The airport provides scheduled non-stop flights to over 50 destinations worldwide, including major cities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. It has a catchment area of 1.8 million residents and is an important hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada.

The airport has undergone significant expansion projects to meet the increasing demand and support the economic development of the region. The $800 million expansion project included a 25,000 square metre air terminal expansion, a 15,000 square metre air terminal renovation, a 12,000 square metre office tower development, and a 200,000 square metre apron. The expansion also included the implementation of Canada's first complete second-generation three-level Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Hold-Baggage Screening (HBS) system, enhancing security for passengers.

In addition to its role as a busy passenger hub, the Edmonton Area Control Centre (CZEG) located at the airport is responsible for all aircraft movements over a vast region encompassing Alberta and most of northern Canada, including the high Arctic. The airport's runways are equipped with advanced lighting systems, such as Category 1 High-Intensity Centre Row Approach Lighting and Low-Intensity Centre Row Approach Lighting, ensuring safe operations.

The airport has five runways and two active terminals

The Edmonton International Airport is an important hub for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada, serving approximately 8.2 million passengers per year and offering non-stop flights to 50 destinations worldwide. It is a base for several airlines, including Flair Airlines, WestJet, Canadian North, Jet Companion, and Morningstar Air Express. The airport also houses a purpose-built facility for air ambulance operations.

Runways at the airport are equipped with advanced lighting systems to ensure safe operations. Runways 02, 12, and 30 feature Category 1 High-Intensity Centre Row Approach Lighting and an SSALR approach lighting system. Meanwhile, Runway 20 is equipped with Low-Intensity Centre Row Approach Lighting, along with runway identification lights. All runways are fitted with high-intensity threshold and runway lights.

The Edmonton Area Control Centre, located at the airport, is responsible for managing aircraft movements over Alberta and most of northern Canada, including the high Arctic. The centre provides radar and non-radar Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) control services to aircraft in controlled airspace and those operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

It is the headquarters for Flair Airlines and Morningstar Air Express

Covering just under 28 square kilometres (7,000 acres), the Edmonton International Airport is Canada's largest major airport by land area. It is the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic and the ninth busiest by aircraft movements, serving 7,919,690 passengers in 2024. The airport provides non-stop flights to over 50 destinations and is the headquarters for two major Canadian airlines: Flair Airlines and Morningstar Air Express.

Flair Airlines is an Edmonton-based, ultra-low-cost air transportation service that operates scheduled passenger flights to over 35 destinations across Canada, the US, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. The airline is known for its "`no-frills` fare model", allowing customers to customise their travel experience by paying only for what they need. For example, adding bags or upgrading seats incurs a fee. Flair Airlines maintains its headquarters and operational offices at the Edmonton International Airport.

Morningstar Air Express, founded in 1970 as Brooker-Wheaton Aviation Ltd, is a cargo airline based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It operates a contract all-cargo service for FedEx Express between several cities in Canada, including Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Halifax. Morningstar Air Express's main base is at the Edmonton International Airport.

In addition to being the headquarters for Flair Airlines and Morningstar Air Express, the Edmonton International Airport is also home to other aviation companies such as Jet Companion, a Canadian aeromedical transport company, and private aviation companies Aurora Jet Partners and Airco Aircraft Charters.

The airport is also the base for Jet Companion, a Canadian aeromedical transport company

Covering just under 28 square kilometres (7,000 acres), Edmonton International Airport is Canada's largest major airport by land area. It is located about 15 miles (24 kilometres) south of downtown Edmonton and 150 miles north of Calgary. The airport is open 24 hours a day and offers nonstop commercial flights to destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. It is also the headquarters of two major Canadian airlines: passenger carrier Flair Airlines and cargo carrier Morningstar Air Express.

Edmonton International Airport is also the base for Jet Companion, a Canadian aeromedical transport company. Jet Companion specialises in medical repatriation missions and patient transfers, utilising commercial flights or stretcher charters. Their aeromedical crews operate out of the airport daily, conducting medical missions both within Canada and across the globe. The company benefits from the airport's status as the fifth-busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic, serving 7,919,690 passengers in 2024.

The airport's location in Edmonton, the most northern large city in North America, makes it a convenient gateway for private jet travellers visiting the Cold Lake oil sands. The airport has also created over 26,000 jobs, including those in tourism, economic development, retail, entertainment, and hospitality.

In addition to its role as a transport hub, Edmonton International Airport houses the 213-room Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel within its terminal complex. The airport has undergone several expansion projects over the years, including a $450 million expansion in the early 2000s and a $700 million expansion in 2012 to accommodate increasing passenger traffic.

The Edmonton Area Control Centre, operated by Nav Canada, is also located at the airport. This facility is responsible for all aircraft movements over a vast region encompassing Alberta and most of northern Canada, including the high Arctic.

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