THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay International Airport has set another record for passenger volume.
In 2017, about 845,000 passengers travelled through the airport, an increase of nearly 5 per cent from the previous record, set in 2016.
The airport cites additional capacity offered by airlines serving northern destinations, and an early start to the winter charter season, as two contributors to the growth.
Other factors were travel related to the Under-18 World Baseball Championships, and the rise in international student enrollment at Lakehead University and Confederation College.
Airport CEO Ed Schmidtke says he expects passenger traffic this year will be similar to 2017.
"Special events hosted by our community will support airport volumes going forward," Schmidtke said.
He noted that the hosting of the 2018 Ski Nationals is expected to draw up to 700 guests to Thunder Bay in March. Among other notable events, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce annual meeting in September will bring about 450 visitors, and over 400 Victory Cruise ship passengers are expected to use the airport to either travel to or out of Thunder Bay in July.
Traffic growth in recent years has prompted renovations and improvements in the terminal building. Both the departure lounge and the customs clearance hall are currently being expanded, with the work scheduled for completion this fall.
