Prince George, B.C. - The Prince George Airport has entered a new stage  in its development.

It has been given “trans shipment” status.

 

This is a key in the Airport’s vision to develop a goods distribution centre. The program allows air cargo to be moved through the airport for shipment to third countries, allowing it to seek new market opportunities and further develop its air cargo activity.

The international air cargo transshipment program allows air cargo to be moved through Canada for shipment to third countries. For example, cargo could be flown from the United States into Prince George, stored temporarily, and
then flown to an Asian destination. Similarly, international air cargo could also arrive from overseas and then be shipped by rail or road from Prince George to the United States, allowing the airport to take full advantage of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor.

     

YXS General Manager Stieg Hoeg says the trans shipment designation is an important step in the airport’s development.

 "This announcement is great news for the Prince George Airport. The air cargo transshipment program will support our multi-modal cargo development and will help to ensure that the Prince George Airport runway extension project,
targeting air cargo carriers flying trans-Pacific routes, is competitive and capable of growth in the handling of cargo and freight," said Stieg Hoeg, General Manager of the Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA). "This designation will allow the Prince George Airport, our partners and our region to compete more completely on the world stage as part of a true transportation and logistics corridor for North America."

 

 

The airport runway extension is on schedule and the plan calls for the official opening to be this October.   The airport reps who recently travelled to Beijing say the runway extension has been greeted with great interest and some carrier company representatives are expected to come to Prince George this summer to take a closer look.

 

Airport Authority Board Chair Jim Blake says the plan is to have a carrier land for refuelling on the day the new runway officially opens.