Calgary Airport Concourse Closed for 18 Months After Hailstorm Damage
The Calgary Airport Authority announced on Wednesday that Concourse B at the YYC Calgary International Airport will remain closed for a minimum of 18 months to repair damage from a massive hailstorm earlier this month.
The airport said that the decision to close Concourse B was made after engineers determined that the damage was too extensive for a quick repair. The concourse, which is located in the Domestic Terminal Building, sustained significant damage from the Aug. 5 storm, when golf-ball-sized hail punctured the roof membrane and allowed heavy rainwater to pour into the building.
Despite the closure of Concourse B and its gates (gates 31-40), airport officials said they do not believe there will be any impact to travellers or airport operations while the restoration work is underway.
"We have completed the initial remediation work and are now developing a comprehensive plan to repair the roof and interior of Concourse B," said Chris Miles, the chief operating officer of the Calgary Airport Authority. "We are pleased to report that there should be no impact to our guests and passengers, as we have been able to accommodate all flights through other parts of the terminal. We are open for business."
The Hailstorm's Impact
The early-August hail storm was one of the worst to hit Calgary in about four years, inflicting carnage across north Calgary. Several homes’ exteriors were stripped by the large hail and vehicles’ windows were smashed and cracked. The storm caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damage to homes and businesses in the city, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
The storm also damaged commercial aircraft at YYC, as well as homes and vehicles across parts of north Calgary. The total cost of repairs is not yet known.
WestJet's Ongoing Challenges
WestJet, meanwhile, is still bearing the wounds of the storm, having been forced to ground 10 per cent of its fleet for repairs after 16 planes were seriously damaged in the storm. In a LinkedIn post last week, CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said it will take “weeks” to get its aircraft back in service. Its update from Aug. 14 said the damage would force WestJet to make proactive cancellations into the “foreseeable future.”
WestJet said that three of the damaged aircraft had been returned to service as of Wednesday, but that the rest of the fleet will likely be out of commission for weeks to come. The airline is working to accommodate passengers on other flights, but this has caused delays and cancellations.
Looking Ahead
The Calgary Airport Authority says that it will provide more information about the repairs to Concourse B in the coming weeks. It is unclear how much the repairs will cost, but it is likely to be a significant sum.
The airport authority is also working with the airlines that use Concourse B to minimize the impact of the closure on passengers.
The closure of Concourse B is a reminder of the importance of being prepared for extreme weather events. Calgary is located in a region that is prone to hailstorms, and the airport authority is taking steps to ensure that the airport is resilient to future storms. The airport is also investing in new technology to help it track and predict weather events. The airport authority is working to ensure that the airport is ready for the next big storm.
