THUNDER BAY -- More people are taking to the skies at the local airport.
The Thunder Bay International Airport for the third consecutive year set a new passenger volume record, with more than 869,000 travellers passing through in 2018.
That increase amounts to nearly three per cent more than the previous year.
Airport president and chief executive officer Ed Schmidtke said demand has grown by 12 per cent over the past three years.
"We expect that passenger demand is reaching a ceiling over the short term," Schmidtke said in a Friday morning news release.
The airport is expecting 2019 passenger volume to be in the range of 860,000 to 875,000, Schmidtke added.
The expansion of winter charter capacity that is starting this year could lead to a boost, as well as the Victory Cruise ships scheduled to use Thunder Bay as a transfer point for a Great Lakes cruise this summer.
The airport also spent much of 2018 undertaking a significant renovation project with a price tag of around $9 million that includes an expansion of the departure lounge and a new customs hall for international traffic.
