YXS Ready to Handle Alaskan Diverted Flights

Monday, March 23, 2009 11:41 AM

Prince George, B.C.- As Alaska’s Mount Redoubt puffs and spews volcanic ash, Prince George International Airport is ready to handle any flight that needs to be diverted.

YXS spokesperson Mike Davis says the Prince George Airport has contacted all of the airline companies which use Prince George Airport “We have advised all our regular carrier companies that Prince George can handle any size of aircraft, and has been able to since January.”

That would give carriers an alternate landing site should Mount Redoubt’s plume of ash pose a threat to flights. ( click here to see animated view of ash plume and spread)

Will flights that are Anchorage bound use Prince George and its brand new runway?

Not if Fairbanks has its way. That Airport’s spokesperson, Angie Spears says Fairbanks is the first alternate for Anchorage, and vice versa, “If neither airport is suitable, then there is an air force base that can be used” says Spears. “In any event, airlines have their own diversionary plans and we can’t tell them where to go” she says.

Mt Redoubt has erupted five times since 10:38 last night, sending ash 50 thousand feet into the air.

Anchorage’s airport, which is about 140 miles north east of the volcano, has already delayed some flights, and alerts have been issued about ash, mudslides and flooding as an impact of glacial melting.

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Posted on Monday, March 23, 2009 11:41 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Common Sense on March 23 2009 12:10 PM

Nice try for a failed business plan.

Posted by: Eagleone on March 23 2009 1:19 PM

I think its great the infrastructure is in place for an opportunity something like this can create. It may take a while for sucsess because of the huge drop in global trade, but this will be a huge benefit to this region at some point.

In the meantime it should have been the military that paid for this runway extension, because IMO national defense infrastructure is the most important aspect of building it. Airport improvement fees for the regular traveler shouldn't be footing the bill for a failed business plan.

Posted by: Longnecks1 on March 23 2009 3:29 PM

Sounds like were 4th in line...Tell me again why this was built.....

Posted by: diplomat on March 23 2009 3:49 PM

Sounds like Angie Spears of Fairbanks is worried sheetless.

Posted by: RRrabbitt on March 23 2009 4:22 PM

Hmmm... so they have contacted "all the airline companies which use PG Airport"..

That's nice.... might have been an idea to also contact all the airline companies which DON'T use PG Airport... that would be one simple way of making those companies aware of the existance of PG Airport.... donncha' think ??

:-)

V.

Posted by: acrider54 on March 23 2009 4:26 PM

Ho hum, nothing will be flying in to here.

Posted by: Harbinger on March 23 2009 7:10 PM

Oh, goody. Imagine all the carbon taxes from the fuel at the airport. But then again, they ain't BCers and they don't use the roads and ...oh well. Never mind.

Posted by: Palopu on March 23 2009 7:35 PM

Options if you are diverted from Anchorange Airport.

(1) Fairbanks
(2) Edmendorf Airforce Base Alaska.
(3) Edmonton Alta
(4) Calgary Alta
(5) Vancouver BC
(6) Seattle Wash.
(7) Abbotsford BC
(8) Comox BC
(9) Prince George BC.

The list goes on., I wouldnt expect to much business from this latest scenario.

Posted by: He speaks on March 23 2009 8:02 PM

Hey, I thought you build it, and they will come. You don't mean we actually have to wine and dine them.

Hey, woaaaahhhhhhhh..... Stieg, we still need you.

Posted by: Resident on March 24 2009 8:26 AM

PG is now the proud owner of "Mirabel West". Spend 33 million on runway expansion on the hopes a volcano in Alaska will erupt. Only people on the gov't payroll could come up with business plan like this and survive to spend another day.

Posted by: diplomat on March 24 2009 7:23 PM

A tiny little thing happened unexpectedly on the way to the Forum: a GLOBAL recession!

If any of those with perfect 20/20 hindsight knew that it was coming perhaps they should have picked up the phone and warned the rest of the population and especially the power brokers that it was imminent...

Of course, nobody knew then that Lehmann Brothers, a hundred U.S. banks and AIG would either fail or teeter on the brink of oblivion!

Hindsight is always perfect.

Give things a chance - it will get better again given enough time and effort. The problems are man-made and mankind must fix them, or else.