It is interesting to see that they plan to have a new Dangerous Goods route from Boeing to 97, however they as usual fail to explain what these Dangerous Goods will be, or where they are going. The only Dangerous Goods facilitie East of Prince George is Ft Saskatchewan Alta., and the majority of the goods from there go the the various destinations by rail.

So the question is what dangerous goods are we talkng about and where are they going. Kitimat? Prince George?.

Most Dangerouse Goods handled by the Pulp Mills are handled in rail cars. In addition most Dangerous Goods that are handled by truck are manufactured in Prince George. Hydrogen Peroxide from FMC Corp. Sulphuric Acid and Sulphur Dioxide, manufactured by Marselux in the Old BC Rail Industrial Site, and of course Gas and Diesel Manufactured by Husky Oil on the Prince George Pulp Mill road. None of these firms would use the so called new dangerous goods route.

It seems that whatever someone says (In this case McWalter) it is reported as news, however it is not checked out for accuracy.

Case in point. Anchorage Alaska Airport handles 700 Wide Body International Airplanes per week. Or 36,400 per year, not 3000. This Airport has no problem handling this volume and would in fact expand if more runway or other facilities were needed.

Case in point. Boeing has launched the Boeing 777 Freighter in May 2005. With a maximum takeoff weight of 766,000 lbs the 777 Freighter will have a revenue payload capability of 229,000 lbs. (103.9 metric tonnes)

The 777 Freight will be capable of flying 9047 km or 5600 miles, with a full payload making it the worlds longest=range freighter. The airplanes range capability will translate into significant savings for cargo operators; fewer stops and associated landing fees, less congestion at transfer hubs, lower cargo handling costs and shorter cargo delivery times. This plane is expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Add to this the overall shortage of planes available to handle cargo and you have a completely different situation that the Aiport Authority would have you beleive. It seems that in the future Airlines will need less not more facilities for landing and taking off.

Are we a day late and a dollar short on this one.?????

PS:

Anchorage Airport handles approx 1000 cargo flights per week or 52,000 per year. 700 per week are international wide body cargo flights, the balance are in-state domestic cargo flights.

These international flights are channelled through Anchorage, where there are distribution warehouses and then on the various US and Eastern Canada Destinations.
Are we suggesting that Companies like Fedex, DHL, UPS, etc; will split this business, and have some of their traffic come through Prince George and the rest go through Anchorage, so in effect, they will have two operations rather than one???

Some distribution warehouses are being built right next to the manufacturing plants in China, and South East Asia. The intent of these warehouses is to do the sorting and loading at the source which will mean more direct flights to various markets and the elimination, or downsizing of the major distribution centres in other parts of the World.

So it seems that the Major Airlines, are changing the way they do business. Bigger, faster, and more efficient long distance Air Cargo Airplanes, and better more efficient distribution and sorting as source.

It seems to me that the city might as well get rid of its planning department, McWalters seems to be the one doing all the city planning these days.

I have often said a road along the East Fraser cut banks should be build and zoned for hotels, residential and park to maximize the natural viewscape it presents looking over Prince George from across the Fraser.

Typical Prince George mindset would be to build warehouses in that location. It looks like a knee jerk reaction to the inland port being located in the CN yard downtown. Nicely compliments the new scales being moved out past the old Art Napps meaning a good by-pass of the scales for dangerous goods. Also a good way to kill a real city by-pass route from the west, south, and east....

The article stqates:

"Creating facilities for cargo aircraft to refuel and perform maintenence, or a "tech-stop", will attract some of the over 3000 freighters that currently stop in Anchorage, Alaska EVERY MONTH."

3,000 X 12 = 36,000 PER YEAR .... a similar number .....

so where's the BEEF???? ... in one of planes??

;-)

Anchorage appears to be the 3rd busiest cargo aiprot in the world ... but does not get into the top 30 or so from the point of view of take-offs and landings for the aggregate of all flights - passenger and cargo

Maybe we can sell a hanger to the military and let them have some land in a far off corner of the Airport.

Canadian Forces picks up the tab for a runway extension? Surely a runway that can handle those big new cargo planes on order will be needed.