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F L I G H T S TO T O R O N TO T H I S S U M M E R
Gary Vey, President and CEO of the Gander
International Airport Authority, is pleased to
announce Gander will host five new weekly
Sunwing takes wing
New start-up Sunwing Airlines also begins To r o n t o To - D o s
flights to Toronto for the peak summer season. summer service between Gander and Toronto
effective June 23, with Tuesday and Friday
Conquest Vacations will commence seasonal jet departures until September 15.
service from Gander to Toronto with Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday departures from June
“We created this program to fill a void in the
20-September 7. The route will be operated by industry,” said Stephen Hunter, Chief Operating
Skyservice Airlines. Officer of Sunwing Vacations. “The Federal
“We are delighted that Conquest will return to government has indicated they want airlines that There’s a lot more to
Gander after last summer’s successful operation provide affordable, convenient transportation, T o r on t o t h an t h e C N
and double their schedule over last year,” Mr. servicing secondary urban markets between Tower and Hockey Hall of
Vey said. “Toronto is the dominant destination Atlantic Canada and Ontario.” Fame. Read on for details.
for central Newfoundland, particularly in the
busy summer season. There is a strong demand The announcement of Sunwing’s Canada program
for this service from both tourists, locals and coincides with their acquisition of a third aircraft, Okay Blue Jays! If you listen to the pundits, the
Newfoundland expatriates alike.” a new Boeing Next-Generation 737-800. Jays are pennant contenders thanks to a major
Travelers can book online at roster upgrade in the off-season. Visit bluejays.ca
One-way airfares begin at $130. Travelers can be www.flysunwing.ca or phone 1-800-761- for tickets.
book through their local travel agent, online at 1711.
www.conquestvacations.com or by phoning
Check out the blue-skinner wonders. The
1-866-254-2511. Grammy nominated Blue Man Group is known for
an amazing multi-media, music and comedy
production. Appearing all summer in Toronto. Visit
www.blueman.com
S UNNY DAY ON THE RAMP.
Rev up your engine. If you thought drivers on the
A LO NE C R E W M E M B E R I S 401 were speed demons, check out the Molson Indy
Grand Prix, July 6-9. Visit grandprixtoronto.com
D W A R F E D BY A N A 3 1 0 , S I T T I N G
IDLE AFTER ARRIVAL AT GANDER..
Get jazzed. The Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival,
regarded as one of the country’s best, runs from
June 23-July 2. Visit www.torontojazz.com
Take a ribbing. Are you into barbecuing—and we
mean really into barbecuing? Get your license to grill
at the Toronto Ribfest, which brings together the
world’s best ribbers for an artery-clogging
extravaganza at Centennial Field June 20-July 3. Visit
www.torontoribfest.com for details
See the world from a new perspective. How
about upside-down? Canada’s Wonderland has over
200 rides and attractions, including some of North
America’s most ludicrous rollercoasters.
www.canadas-wonderland.com
If you want to see the broad range of emotion in
the human theatre, visit an airport. At an airport
you can see the joy of family members
reconnected, the excitement of tourists in a
strange new place, the exhaustion of the
Donna RIDEOUT
corporate traveler after a long business trip or
the sadness of family bidding a temporary farewell
to their children. You can see it all in an airport terminal, and that range of emotion
is shared in operating a facility like Gander International Airport.
2006 marks a few benchmarks for Gander. On Jan. 11, Gander International
celebrated its 68th birthday. In March, we marked five years since transfer from the
federal government. Back in 1999, an independent study regarding the viability of
our airport was commissioned by the Minister of Transport and undertaken by
consultants Deloitte Touche. The study found CYQX was the product of a bygone
FEEDBACK era of aviation and was not viable into the future. Dispelling this has been our
IF YOU HAVE NEWS, STORIES, PHOTOS OR collective challenge.
FEEDBACK TO SHARE WITH FLY GANDER, PLEASE
SEND US AN E-MAIL AT MARKETING@ GIAA.NF. CA
Since that time, we have made great strides toward viability. The airport authority
has successfully grown its core revenues by $1 million, even as our core market of
international technical stops has eroded. We have increased non-traditional
revenues and worked hard to convert our non-capital assets into cash. We have, in
conjunction with our staff and union, executed an internal cost savings program and
reduced expenses by 11 per cent, even as operating costs and regulatory demands
have increased substantially. However, I am of the mind that a business cannot save
its way to profitability, and there is still a chasm between our revenues and
expenses. The authority must position the airport to operate from a stable financial
footing, with the agility and resources to channel funds back into our capital works
program. This is our overarching goal on a go-forward basis.
We are making progress. 2005 produced excellent operating results in terms of
service to the international airport community, reduced operating costs and
increased profitability. In fact, the airport recorded a bottom line profit for the first
time. So that spectrum of sentiment we see in our passengers is shared by all of us
at Gander International Airport. We are optimistic about recent success. We are
cautious about the future. Most importantly, we are excited about our prospects.
With the continued patronage of our international customers and the continued
loyalty and support of the local community, the Gander Airport – our airport – can
continue to be a catalyst for economic development and job creation for years to
A R T C O N T E S T W I N N E R S . P I CT UR E D AR E THE W I N N E R S O F THE
come.
G AN DE R I N T E RN AT I O N A L A I R P O R T A R T C O N TE S T , H E L D F O R
G AN DE R A C A DE M Y S T U D E N TS . F R O M L E F T : C ASS IE G I L L , 1 S T P LA CE ,
A L I G A RD N E R , 2 N D P L A CE AN D B RI TT A N Y C H A UL K , 3 RD P L A CE .
C AS S IE ’ S W I N N IN G E N T RY W I L L AD O RN THE F RO N T O F TH E
A I R P O R T ’ S C HR I S TM AS C A RD TH IS YE A R .
Identify the carriers by their tailfin insignia at left and e-mail yours answers to wrightr@giaa.nf.ca for your
chance to win a YQX prize pack including shirt, boxer shorts, tote bag and desk clock. Please include your
home mailing address. A few hints: 1) Russian cargo heavylift king 2) The spirit of the west 3) Visits Gander five or
six times a year from a much sunnier island 4) Only the most skilled fin-jas will get this one. No hints, either!
1 2 3 4
■ TheAIRFacts… that’s a nap, remembering Arrow, new personnel at CYQX, some snowbirds fly east.
“This airport was fantastic,” raves Mark B. in his online review.
New Manager of Infrastructure “It is an international airport but not too busy or large!! I was
asleep by 11:00pm and almost missed my flight at 6:00am! To
The airport authority is pleased to announce the
make matters better I wasn't even tired when I laid down!
appointment of Mr. Grant Horwood as Manager of
Perfect!"
Infrastructure. Grant, a native of Botwood, graduated
from the Civil Engineering Program at Memorial
Enthused Darrell, who transited through Gander’s international lounge en
University in 1998. He is a registered professional
route to Manchester: “The best facility is free showers in the men’s rooms.
engineer in both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Upon
They are clean and tidy and very refreshing after 7 or 8 hours on a plane! I
graduation, he went to work for Aker Gulf Marine in
can thoroughly recommend the ice cream at the gift shop, which is
Texas and EFCO Corp. in Ontario after which he went on Grant Horwood delicious!”
to manage their Atlantic Canadian region in Halifax. He
moved to Gander in 2002 to begin private practice with Red Indian Surveys
For 2005, Egypt’s Cairo International Airport was bestowed with the Poopy
as a consulting engineer. In his spare time, Grant is most often found
Bathroom Award for the world’s worst washrooms, and completed a
outdoors, either snowmobiling or boating. prestigious double by getting the Creepy Crawler nod, for that airport which
harbours the most insects. Cairo is a two-time defending champion.
Snowbirds fly east
The world-famous Canadian aerobatic flight team
the Snowbirds are coming back to Gander
Arrow Air Crash Remembered
September 13 after a long absence. Planning is On a frigid, somber December 12,
now underway for the show, which will include the community gathered at the
aircraft and other displays from Atlantic Canada Silent Witness Memorial to mark
Museums. the 20th anniversary of the Arrow
Air disaster. The crash occurred
shortly after take-off from Gander
CYQX: A great place to snooze? International Airport before dawn
in 1985. On board were 248
Gander International Airport has earned accolades as a great airport in which soldiers of the U.S. Army's 101st
to catch a nap. Believe it or not, there is a website dedicated to budget Airborne Division and 8 civilian
travelers who nap in airports rather than—God forbid—pay for a hotel. crew. It remains the worst-ever air
Reviews and ratings are posted at www.sleepinginairports.net Gander disaster in Canadian history and the
earned a perfect 5/5 rating as a sleep-friendly facility. largest single-day loss of life in the history of the 101st Airborne.
Esso Avitat Edward Burry Ltd. has earned a strong And now you have been featured in Avitat’s new campaign in industry
reputation in the aviation world for its exceptional service of magazines … how does it feel to be a new Avitat poster girl?
corporate aircraft refueling at Gander. For two years To tell you the truth, I tend to shy away from the spotlight, but I certainly want to do my
running, Esso Avitat has finished first among Canadian part to help our company. It is a bit exciting. When I flew down to do the photo shoot
FBOs in a continent-wide pilot survey. They say an FBO is for the advertisement, a customer of ours who has been flying through Gander for 20
only as good as its people, and Customer Service years brought me out to his private airport, showed me his planes, and I met some of
Representative Wendy Kelly stands as proof to that. With the other pilots with his company. He’s 80 now, and has finished his last transatlantic
16 years of experience at Avitat under her belt, Wendy’s trip. That was really nice.
expertise, friendly demeanor and understanding of great service make her an
invaluable asset to the Avitat team and the greater airport community.
What do you do in your spare time?
What is the nature of your job? I walk and I swim. I spend a lot of time with the family, my husband Mike, my two boys
Stephen, 8, and Adam, 5, and our dog, Bailey. I have also been a volunteer with the
I am on the front line at Esso Avitat Gander as a Customer Service Representative. SPCA for 18 years now.
We service the private jets that purchase Esso fuel, attend to their needs here at our
FBO and prepare them for the next leg of the journey. I also do the payroll, invoices,
billing, and so forth.
“Our entire staff
Is there any aspect of the job you like? prides itself on
I do enjoy meeting our customers and all the interesting people who use our services. going to the
They come from all walks of life and all parts of the world.
greatest extent
possible to deliver
What’s the key to keeping your customers, both the private jet pilots and their
passengers, happy? what our customers
Simply put, you give them what they want. Our entire staff prides itself on going to the require.”
- W e n d y K e l l y
greatest extent possible to deliver what our customers require.
And pilots will confirm that Avitat does an exceptional job of it ...
Yes, we’ve been voted the best FBO in Canada by pilots two years running. We all
work very hard to please our customers, and it’s very gratifying to see them leave
happy.
LIFE AT T H E L I F E B OAT
Every day, some 1,500 commercial airlines vie to cram into the serpentine jetstream aircraft parking logistics and contacting hoteliers in the event guests are stranded
snaking across the North Atlantic. More often than not, their routes take them right overnight.
over Gander, which is located at the epicentre Upstairs in the Emergency Contact Centre, a
of the Great Circle Route—the shortest team including airport representatives, the fire
distance between Europe and the Americas. department, Customs and Immigration and
other essential personnel are putting a plan into
Most of these aircraft will never touch wheel action. Key contacts are made with the Red
to tarmac at Gander, but pilots and flight Cross and others.
planners are glad to know the airport is there.
In fact, some 200,000 flights a year choose
■■■
Gander as their alternate airport, should they
require an unplanned stop to address an in-
flight emergency. “This type of event is old hat for the staff and
companies at Gander,” remarks airport
President and CEO Gary Vey. “Our job now is
“We provide all essential medical and security to ensure the safety and comfort of the
services in the event of in-flight emergencies,
be it mechanical, unruly passengers or stranded passengers to the best of our ability,”
operational issues,” explains the airport
authority’s Manager of Safety and Airside Downstairs in the lounge, airport staff are
Operations, Brian Hicks. moving in additional seating, workers from Shell
Aviation have set off for the hospital to procure
more wheelchairs for mobility-challenged
Gander’s competence in addressing every type
passengers and another team has been
of emergency has earned it the nickname
dispatched to get diapers, milk, formula, wipes
“Lifeboat of the North Atlantic.” In earlier
and Cheerios for the new parents and their
days, the Newfoundland Dog—known for its
babies in the temporary quiet room.
role in ensuring the safety of mariners—was a
Arrangements are made with local pharmacies
symbol of sorts for Gander. But what makes
to remain open and fill vital prescriptions should
Gander such an attractive emergency airport
passengers be stranded overnight. Staff from
for the aviation community? Allied and the airport are meeting with pilots
and crew awaiting next steps from dispatch.
“Obviously, a lot of it has to do with location,”
Hicks explains. “We are the first 24-7 airport
off the North Atlantic for flights transiting the Passengers, understandably, are growing restless
continents in many cases. We have after having endured long flights from London,
infrastructure to accommodate everything that Manchester and Frankfurt. Commissionaires
flies and an expertise in dealing with these continually monitor the room to ensure
incidents. We also have a low media profile passengers are okay.
relative to larger centres. Airlines know that
unexpected needs can be dealt with in a timely, “In a situation like this, things can sour very
efficient and private fashion.” quickly,” explains Allied General Manager Dion
Faulkner. “Travel is inherently stressful on all of
During the September 11 tragedy, the closure us. The key is to make sure you put out
of US airspace landed 38 wide-bodied aircraft potential fires before they flare up.”
on Gander’s lap, and the greater central
Newfoundland community has received high
■■■
praise for its role in assisting passengers and
airlines in a time of grave tragedy.
Some five hours later, good news from the
eastern seaboard. The 60 centimetre-snowfall
■■■ and accompanying 100 kilometer winds have
subsided. A window has opened. Passengers can
On a plush leather sofa in the Distinguished go home, as can many of the staff who have put
Visitors Lounge, where by Bill Clinton, Fidel in a long day accommodating the sudden influx
Casto, Colin Powell and other luminaries have of passengers.
sat, resides two three-month old babies and
their moms. It’s February 12, and the eastern
“That’s life at the lifeboat,” explains Hicks. “We
seaboard of the United States is buried in a
see diversions pretty well on a weekly basis.
hellacious storm that is setting snowfall
Last week it was a grand mal seizure and a
records. Major US hubs in Newark, New York
passenger diversion when St. John’s went down
and Boston are socked in and not accepting
inbound aircraft. As a result, some 2,000 due to weather.”
passengers, including a handful of infants, have TOP: COORDINATING RESPONSE FROM THE ECC,
been diverted to Gander. Fourteen aircraft MIDDLE: FIVE OF THE SIX STRANDED It’s a role Gander is only to proud to serve, Vey
are now sitting on the ramp, and the says.
international lounge, designed to fit 800 CONTINENTAL FLIGHTS ON THE RAMP, BOTTOM:
passengers comfortably, is crammed with D ARREN D ALTON CONTACTS THE RED C ROSS.
weary travelers. "Aircraft are crossing the ocean, they need a
place to land for whatever the reason, whether
it be weather or air rage or mechanical
When dealing with emergencies, two mantras are ever-present: preparedness and emergency. Gander is the airport they use. Whatever the hour, whatever the need,
composure. At the Allied Aviation office, ops personnel Rhonda Lane and Pete Edison
we are prepared to fulfill it.”
are connecting with pilots still on the Atlantic, taking passenger manifests, organizing
