THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay Airport will introduce higher fees for airport users in the New Year, in part to pay for the cost of major renovations that are just getting underway.
Effective in early January, 2018, passengers leaving their vehicles in the parking lot will pay more, and airlines will pay higher landing, terminal, parking and loading bridge fees.
Airport CEO Ed Schmidtke says despite the increases, Thunder Bay Airport will continue to charge among the lowest fees in Canada for these services.
The cost of short-term parking will rise by 25 cents an hour $3.25 for the first hour, while the daily maximum in the long-term parking area will increase by a dollar to $13.75.
Airlines will pay between 3 per cent and 4 per cent more for a range of services.
Schmidtke told tbnewswatch.com in an interview Thursday that the airport is "among the lowest-cost airports in the country, and without an Airport Improvement Fee arguably the lowest-cost airport."
However, he said, it's not immune to cost increases such as the hike in Ontario's minimum wage and debt charges resulting from the current multi-million dollar upgrading project.
The renovations include an expansion of the Departures lounge that will increase its size by about 50 per cent.
"The bulk of the construction cost will be covered by our retained earnings. We've been saving money for projects like this. But we still need to carry some of that debt," Schmidtke said.
In conjunction with the upgrading project, Thunder Bay Airport is collaborating with CATSA, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, to make travel through the airport more convenient.
CATSA will install an upgraded passenger screening system, making Thunder Bay Airport the first mid-tier airport in Canada to receive it.
In a previous interview, Schmidtke said the new system will result in a "much-accelerated" passenger screening process.
