It’s going to cost you more to fly from Calgary International Airport (YYC) – $5 Canadian Dollars more to be precise. The fee clicks in on June 1, and will be tacked on to the ticket of each originating and departing passenger. It won’t apply to connecting fliers.
It’s called an AIF in Canada, short for Airport Improvement Fee. Specifically, the Alberta short-sector charge for flights to Edmonton (YEA), Lethbridge (YQL), Medicine Hat (YXH) and Lloydminister will increase from the current CAD$10, to CAD$15. The fee for all other flights goes from CAD$15 to CAD$20.
So where the money going? Current and pending construction projects. Calgary contends it needs the revenue to take care of growth. Passenger volume at YYC has increased 43 percent over the past four years; 11 percent in 2006 alone.
The Calgary Airport Authority says it has invested CAD$805 million since it assumed responsibility for the airport in 1992. CAD$600 million has been funded by the AIF, which is to say from the pockets of passengers.
As for why the new CAD$5 hike is needed, Garth Atkinson, Authority President, says it “will help position the Authority to meet its fundamental role of keeping Calgarians connected to the world”.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
