Rankin Inlet’s air terminal building is due for an upgrade and work may begin this summer.
“It’s been a good terminal, but it’s come to the end of its days with passenger volumes, passenger traffic and airline volume expected to continue growing,” said Darren Nichol, director of Nunavut airports.
The new terminal will be a brand-new facility built over two phases in the next five years.
The first phase may see construction begin this summer on the initial part of the structure and will take close to three years. Once complete and operations have been transitioned, the old terminal will be demolished, paving the way for the second phase of work to finish the job.
Nichol didn’t put a number on the total cost for the new terminal, saying the Government of Nunavut is still in the award phase and he could circle back on the costs in the summer.
The new building will be roughly three-and-a-half times the size of the current terminal.
“It’s going to be significantly bigger,” said Nichol. “It’ll offer a better passenger experience, more modern amenities, additional seating, much more space. It will be quite an impressive facility.”
He called it an exciting project for Rankin Inlet and the Kivalliq and is looking forward to getting moving on it.
What is driving this project? Anticipated increase in traffic? Or is the existing terminal not worth renovating. The expected cost must be in the territory’s capital spending plan as they already have an architect’s rendering, so what is it?
It’s about time after the lengthy delay for obvious reasons. Kivalliqmuit deserve a terminal facility that allow travellers less anxiety but more of comfort and able to relax in one busy location while waiting to transfer to other flights.