Initiative to develop Community Air Access Strategy announced

(Fredericton January 22, 2013) The Fredericton International Airport Authority, in partnership with the City of Fredericton, has announced an initiative that will see the development of a Community Air Access Strategy.

FIAA President David Innes says this is an important step toward positioning the airport as the most effective economic driver for the greater Fredericton region that it can possibly be. Dan Keenan, chair of the city’s Development committee, agrees the airport’s role in the development of the city is crucial. “Studies show that the quality of air service in and out of a community has a direct relationship to that community’s economic growth, so obviously, we are very much in favour of developing a Community Air Access Strategy.”

This announcement follows the stakeholder breakfast held in November, where a number of initiatives for the airport’s future development were discussed. “We said at that time that further announcements could be expected and this is one of them” says Innes.

Specifically, FIAA has hired aviation consultant Paul Lannon of Atlantis Aviation to research and develop the strategy. Innes says Lannon was chosen because of his track record. “Lannon is the person who conducted a similar study for the Newfoundland and Labrador government, and that Air Access strategy has become the model not only for that province but for other jurisdictions as well.”

Innes says the study will look at what the priorities for airport growth should be. “Both the airport and the city want the same thing here, an airport that functions as best it can as an economic driver, and this strategy will be a decisive step toward realizing this.”

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for more information or interviews:

David Innes, FIAA President 460-0927