Last year saw more than four million passengers travelling in and out of the James Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg.
That’s a number that was last seen before the pandemic. According to the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), this brings the airport within 91.3 per cent of its pre-pandemic travelling levels. In a release on Tuesday, the agency said the number was a result of a fourth quarter that saw over 950,000 passengers — many of whom travelled during the festive season.
“From new routes to new airlines, to more options for travellers, 2023 was truly an exciting year as it all equates to a more connected community, making Manitoba an even better place to call home,” said Nick Hays, president and CEO of WAA, in the release.
Get daily National news
Compared with 2022, last year’s numbers included an increase of roughly one million travellers.
The WAA also noted that the airport’s cargo sector saw an increase in demand in the fourth quarter. Compared with the same period in 2022, there was a 0.8 per cent increase in growth for gross takeoff weight, a metric that WAA said measures air freight performance.
The agency said it is expecting to break ground this year on a new multi-tenant air cargo logistics facility, backed by Transport Canada and a $49 million fund from the National Trade Corridors Fund.
“We are thrilled to see how far we’ve come regarding our continued recovery,” Hays said. “But, at the same time, we know we still have some way to go until we return to the solid financial position our organization previously enjoyed.”
The release further notes that WAA had a consolidated revenue of $40.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, an 11.1 per cent jump from the same period in 2022.
Comments