Feb. 25, 2010
Air China Chooses Prince George as Alternate Airport

VANCOUVER - Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond joined officials from Air China Canada and the Prince George Airport Authority to announce three more flights per week this summer from Vancouver to Beijing and the selection of the Prince George Airport as Air China's alternate airport.

Bond, along with Air China Canada general manager Zhigang He and Air China Canada senior advisor David Solloway, were joined by Vancouver Airport Authority president and CEO Larry Berg and Prince George Airport Authority marketing and business development director Todd Doherty.

"This is great news for Northern British Columbia and a direct result of the relationship forged at the 2009 International Open Skies Summit in September," said Bond. "The selection of the Prince George Airport as alternate airport for Air China, also recognizes the value of the expanded runway is a direct result of hard work by the Airport Authority and Initiatives Prince George as well as government investment in regional airports right across our province."

Air China, China's national airline and official flag carrier, will add three more flights a week in addition to its daily non-stop flights from Vancouver to Beijing. The new flights will begin in June 2010 arriving in Vancouver on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Flights to Beijing will depart Vancouver in the early morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Prince George Airport is the chosen alternate airport should flights need to be diverted from Vancouver International Airport.

"Last September, Air China was invited to attend the Open Skies Summit in Vancouver sponsored by the Governments of B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, and this led us to visit the city of Prince George to view the expanded runway and other facilities completed in 2009," said Solloway. "Our decision to choose Prince George as our alternate airport over Calgary or Seattle further strengthens our ties to B.C."

"The airport improvements being done in Prince George are allowing us to position Prince George as a logistics hub," said Minister of Forests and Range and Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell. "This announcement, along with the recent arrival of a large Russian aircraft, demonstrates our approach is working."

"Investments in B.C.'s regional airports attract new visitors and drives the regional economy," said Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. "Air China's decision to select the Prince George Airport as an alternate airport validates the hard work and investment that has made Prince George Airport a premiere International Gateway."

"Today's announcement is a critical first step in our vision for our airport and for our region," said Doherty. "The Prince George Airport Authority and our partner Initiatives Prince George will continue our efforts in building our product and promoting our city and region as a transportation hub connecting North America to the Asia Pacific."

"Air China's announcement is another important step forward in building economic ties with China and advancing our strategy for building Prince George as a premier Asia Pacific transportation hub," said Initiatives Prince George's president and CEO, Tim McEwan.

For more information visit the Prince George Airport Authority at http://www.pgairport.ca/ and Initiatives Prince George at http://www.initiativespg.com/.

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