Airport Advisory Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

Date:

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Time:

9:00 A.m. - 10:00 A.m.

Location:

Airport Administration Boardroom

Kelowna International Airport

1-5533 Airport Way

Kelowna, BC

Members Absent

• Councillor Luke Stack, City of Kelowna
• Andre Blanleil, Kelowna City at Large
• Mayor Akbal Mund, City of Vernon
• Mayor James Baker, District of Lake Country
• Corie Griffiths, Economic Development Commission

Staff Present

• Airport Director, Sam Samaddar, City of Kelowna
• Airport Development Manager, Phillip Elchitz, City of Kelowna
• Airport Finance & Corporate Services Manager, Shayne Dyrdal, City of Kelowna
• Legislative Coordinator (Confidential)

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1.

Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions - Chair, Mayor Tom Dyas

The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m.

Welcome by the Mayor.

Roundtable introductions were completed by the Committee.

Terms of reference were mentioned and gifts distributed from the airport

parking requirements were outlined including the online app

 

2.

Confirmation of Minutes

• Grant/Loyal

  ​THAT the Minutes of the September 22 ,2022 Airport Advisory Committee meeting be adopted.

  
  
  
  Carried

3.

Reports

3.1

Airport Overview - Airport Chief Executive - Sam Sammadar

Airport Director:

- Welcomed everyone.

-Displayed a PowerPoint presentation.

-Provided an overview of the operations of the airport.

-Spoke to constraints and the issues the airport continues to try and work through.

-As an industry we are not where we need to be. Connections being missed. Not just the airlines. NAv Canada staffing issues as another example. Network of issues. Gate times. FLight scheduling. Flight crew shortages. 

-Spoke to the workforce and experience levels being lower than previous.

-Spoke to airlines not doing well. Airline consolidations. Example Westjet with Sun Wing and Swoop. Net reduction of 49,000 seats to refocus on western canada. A real shift from a network carrier for the entire country to western canada. 

-Westjet has one hub being Calgary.

-Low cost carrier side breaking into the Canadian market is not easy. Carriers enter the market financially leveraged.

- Government - Discussed new Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez wh o was just announced by the Prime Minister and his cabinet shuffle.

-Discussed the lack of requirements for NavCan sharing data.

-Service level standards with partners.

- 5G and impacts on airplanes was outlined.

- Greenhouse gas emissions 

- The air ambulance contract for Kelowna was highlighted. 

-Grant KF - CAE via Montreal - future aircrew training preferred bidder for the government program for KFlightcraft. 20+ year contract training pilot for the Royal Canadian Airforce. 

- Reviewed YLWs Strategic Goals - Optimization & Transformation, Driver of Regional Economic Development, Financial Responsibility, Accountable Leadership.

-Responded to questions from the Committee.

Mayor asked if there were any initiatives moving forward with airport service.  Examples of concession and food services where 40 staff to 106 and extended hours of operations. Many changes since last fall.

Spoke to the daycare and employee shuttle service being key improvements to continue to have YLW as an employer of choice.

Staff spoke to the changes in 5G and local government involvement. The airport is now a protected area.

3.2

Operations Update - Director , Operations & Innovation - Phillip Elchitz

Staff:

- spoke to 2023 Monthly passenger counts with a 30% increase from June 2022 to June 2023.

-Forecast for 2023 passenger counts is 2,032,000.

-Total aircraft movements were reviewed. More movements than YLW has had in the past.

-airport orthos were reviewed to better understand operations.

-groundside parking and rental car operations were reviewed.

-terminal and airside operations were reviewed

-airside maintenance and snow operations were reviewed

- aircraft firefighting and first medical response reviewed

-Aircraft operations were reviewed.Kelowna has the most challenging approach in Canda for commercial airline operatiors due to moutainous terrain

-spoke to Aircraft operations - innovations - working with NavCan on improving RNP approach for the south to allow for a wider range of aircraft to fly the approach during low visibility operations.

-YLW controlled airspace - Optimization reviewed.

Reviewed the OCP and interaction with YLW to ensure that protected aireas required for airport expansions are secured. Now embedded in the community plan for surrounding height restrictions and collaboration with the City's planning department. Similar template needs to happen with the regional district.

-Strategy for the Airport for the Future was reviewed. Collection of data to make data driven decisions is important. Areas covered included wildlife identification and remediation with drone technology.

-Check in allocation based on passenger data an example of data required to make better decisions

-RFID Baggage System is ibeing looked at as a pilot program at the airport with Alaska Airlines.

-Parking innovations were reviewed including the reservation system and machine learning passenger behaviors.

-ReserTrac - ground transportation reviewed

-CBSA - advanced digital declaration and a digitization of passport being piloted by NAvCan. Reduces the requirement to build bricks and mortar.

-Customer Service - chatbot virtual concierge - soul machine being investigated

- ACI-NA Health Accreditation - is maintained at YLW during COVID

Environmental Initative - Level 2 airport carbon accreditation acheived

-Electrification battery hydrogen is a big piece for the future of machinery being used at the airport.

-Responded to questions from the Committee

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3.3

Commercial & Air Service Update - Director, Commercial & Air Service - Geoff Ritchie

The meeting recessed at 10:28 a.m.

The meeting reconvened at 10:38 a.m.

Staff

Reviewed food and beverage operations

-Airport plaza and change in control for the gas station to Canco. Bubble waffle will be moving in and Freshii continues operations.

-The Eastlands and the future development of the area was reviewed.

-Capital projects were reviewed including the air terminal building expansion, impact on parking with the expansion, combined operations building, the reconfiguration of parking, childcare facility, and hotel facility build out. 

-Hotel sublease is now executed with Sutton Place Hotel along with an adjoining 1000+ stall parkade.

-Lot paving and ATB Roof replacement program were reviewed.

- GHG reduction - the roadmap to carbon neutral by 2030 was outlined

-Apron III and Taxiway C pavement rehabilitation were outlined.

-Airfield Lighting & Supporting Infrastructure assessment completed to design for a conversion of approach lighting.

- Changes to network planning were reviewed including a shift from growth mode to risk management and a commercial business case to operational ability and availability.

Air Service Development and the ongoin gstrategic deiscussions targeting more destinations and frequencies including Winnipeg with Westjet and Flair and Saskatoon and Regina and Westjet and nanaimo with Pacific Coastal.

Responded to questions from Council.

3.4

Break

no break

3.5

Financial Update - Director, Finance & Corporate Services - Shayne Dyrdal

CFO provided a financial overview.

-Self funded through fees and charges including aeronautical and non-aeronautical with payment into the City general fund. Strategy to keep aeronautical as low as possible to attract carriers

-Strategic financial goals were reviewed including maintaining a low-cost business model.

-Fees and charges were reviewed. Substaintaially lower than tier 1 and tier 2 airport with aeronauticl revenues per landed airfare seat.

- AIF comparison with other airports was reviewed.

- YLW is below median and wieghted averages for Tier 1 and Tier 2 airports

-The financial history, forecast and budget from 2019 to 2023 were reviewed for new committee members.

-Debt with Municipal Finance Authority was reviewed with just over 8.5M left to be repaid. Approved now to take out an additional $48M in debt for terminal building expansion.

-Reviewed the 10 year capital plan and what projects the financing would be attributed to.

Motion to revceive the report as on July 26 Laura seconded by Loyal 

-Mayor requested staff to touch upon on what would come forward to the Committee in the fall meeting.

-Staff were thanked for their sharing of information.

• Moved by Seconded by Councillor Wooldridge

  THAT the Committee receive the report for information dated July 26, 2023 

  
  
  
  

4.

Questions & Wrap Up

Discussion ensued 

Signange regardin the largest municiopal owned airport

Public safety challenges around the airport including vehicle break-ins, etc

Mayor spoke to human trafficking and the prevention program in place at YLW.

Catchment area was reviewed. 

5.

Termination of Meeting

The Chair thanked everyone for attending and declared the meeting terminated at 11:56 p.m.