Ottawa, Insider Only

Airport CEO outlines expansion plans at YOW to meet growing demand from leisure travellers

April 24, 2024

With expansion on the horizon at the Ottawa International Airport, a number of new projects are either underway, being planned or nearing completion.

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With expansion on the horizon at the Ottawa International Airport, a number of new projects are either underway, being planned or nearing completion. Ottawa International Airport Authority president and CEO Mark Laroche gave an update Tuesday at the city-building summit, where several local business leaders spoke about major projects in the city. Construction on the LRT station at the airport is now complete, Laroche said, and operation is expected to begin in June with the opening of the north-south Trillium Line LRT. “We’re waiting on the city’s final testing (of the LRT),” he said. “We anticipate the official opening is going to be this summer.” The new airport terminal LRT station is part of an overall plan to meet the needs of a shifting passenger demographic, which has included fewer business travellers since the pandemic. “The market has changed,” Laroche said. “Leisure travel is taking the largest share of air travel in the region. We estimate that it’s about 20 per cent business and 80 per cent leisure. This shift is having a distinct impact on our infrastructure.” With passenger volumes continuing to recover — and expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year — Laroche said the airport is prioritizing expansion to keep up with demand. “We have capacity constraints on the horizon,” he said. “We’ve been working over the last year to optimize and meet changing configurations. We currently have studies underway to plan for expansion. This will be a multi-year effort that will impact our operations for years to come.” He added, “Expect to hear more on our expansion plan in 12 to 18 months.” In the last year, YOW has opened new retail and food offerings, including the new Canal Market Hall, which features local favourites such as La Bottega and Bridgehead Coffee. A new Relay store is projected to open later this year, with Zak’s Diner expected to be complete in 2025. “I’m pleased to say that passengers are really happy with these changes and the program is exceeding revenue expectations,” he said. Also underway is a 178-room Alt Hotel project by Group Germain Hotels, which will be attached to the airport terminal. Despite concerns raised last year, Laroche confirmed that the project remains on track to open late 2025 or early 2026. “Construction started last fall,” he said. “Kudos to the team at Germain for persevering and making this project work.”

Proposal for solar farm in progress

As part of its efforts to reach net zero emissions, Laroche said the airport is also evaluating the viability of installing a solar farm. “Our property has over 500 acres of high-potential land,” he said. “This land is unsuitable for many other types of development because of noise or low-flying aircraft and height restrictions. Furthermore, these lands are not serviced by water and sewer and would not be for decades.” The available land, according to Laroche, is flat, with few trees or buildings nearby, making it an ideal location to set up a large solar panel array. Preliminary studies estimate that 500 acres could accommodate 250,000 solar panels, generating enough energy to electrify 20,000 homes. “There are close power lines, which makes them more attractive for generation of sustainable electricity,” he said. “Solar energy production will help Ontario decarbonize its electricity grid.” Laroche added that the airport is in the early days of drawing up a proposal. “This project has many steps before it can break ground,” he said. “We are in the beginning of a very competitive process. With the right partners and the support of the community, a very attractive proposal to the provincial regulator can be tabled in order to secure the power purchase agreement from the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator.”