Brandon Municipal Airport Explained

Brandon Municipal Airport
Nativename:Aéroport municipal de Brandon
Image2-Width:250
Iata:YBR
Icao:CYBR
Wmo:71140
Type:Public
Owner-Oper:City of Brandon
City-Served:Brandon, Westman Region, Parkland Region, eastern Saskatchewan
Location:Brandon, Manitoba
Timezone:CST
Summer:CDT
Elevation-F:1,343
Coordinates:49.91°N -99.9522°W
Mapframe:yes
R1-Number:08/26
R1-Length-F:6,510
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:14/32
R2-Length-F:3,068
R2-Surface:Gravel/Asphalt
Stat-Year:2010
Stat1-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat1-Data:21,591
Footnotes:Sources: Canada Flight Supplement and Transport Canada[1]
Environment Canada[2]
Movements from Statistics Canada[3]

Brandon Municipal Airport (also known as Brandon Airport or McGill Field) is an airport located 1miles[4] north of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It serves the City of Brandon, the Westman and Parkland regions of Manitoba, and eastern Saskatchewan.[5] Brandon Municipal Airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a call-out basis from the International Peace Garden Border Crossing.[6]

WestJet Encore operates daily non-stop service from Brandon to Calgary International Airport.[7] Brandon Municipal Airport is home to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.[8]

History

World War II

Brandon Aerodrome was originally built by the Department of National Defence in 1941, for use as a Royal Canadian Air Force flight training school under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Pilots were trained at the airport on Cessna Cranes and Avro Ansons, among other aircraft, for Second World War flying service. In 1945, the school was closed in conjunction with the end of the Second World War.[9]

Portions of the former RCAF Station Brandon are now classified as a National Historic Site of Canada. The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is a popular tourist attraction located at the airport that commemorates the BCATP and the former Station.[9]

Commercial service

Brandon Municipal Airport has had scheduled passenger air service operated by a number of airlines since the late 1970s.[10] Perimeter Aviation served Brandon Airport in the early 1980s with weekday flights to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport operated with Beechcraft commuter aircraft.[11] Pacific Western Airlines introduced Boeing 737-200 service to Brandon Airport in the mid-1980s, operated on a round trip routing of VancouverKelownaCalgary–Brandon–Thunder BayToronto six days a week.[12]

During the 1990s, Bearskin Airlines flew Beechcraft Model 99 commuter turboprop aircraft between Brandon Municipal Airport and Winnipeg International Airport with four daily flights, and Perimeter Aviation flew Swearingen Metro commuter propjets with two daily flights between Brandon and Winnipeg.[13] Athabaska Airlines also operated weekday flights to Winnipeg using Beechcraft 1900C commuter prop-jets.[14]

2000s

On September 3, 2013, WestJet Encore launched daily non-stop service from Brandon to Calgary International Airport operated with Bombardier Q400 aircraft.[15] From June 29, 2016 to September 5, 2016, WestJet operated limited-time non-stop service from Brandon to Toronto Pearson International Airport utilizing Boeing 737 aircraft, stating that the service may return dependent on demand and fleet availability.[16]

A major redevelopment and expansion of the passenger terminal building was announced by local and provincial government officials on August 14, 2014 to meet increased passenger demand. Construction began in 2015, and the new Brandon Municipal Airport terminal building officially opened on May 10, 2017.

Infrastructure

Runways

Brandon Municipal Airport occupies a total land area of 736acres[4] and has two active runways, 08/26 and 14/32.
Runway 14/32 is used for light aircraft only.[9]

NumberLengthWidthILSSurface
08/2665100NaN01500NaN0Cat. I (08)Asphalt
14/3230680NaN0600NaN0––Gravel/asphalt

Terminal

The Brandon Municipal Airport passenger terminal building is a 14700ft2 facility designed by Prairie Architects Inc.[17] It is a Gold LEED-certified building for its sustainable, green and efficient design, construction and operation.[18]

Construction of the terminal building began in 2015 and was carried out in three phases.[19] Phase one saw the construction of 9300ft2 of new terminal space that included an arrival & departures hall, baggage-handlingfacility, new check-in facilities, and a new baggage claim and carousel.[20] Phase two involved the renovation and redevelopment of the existing terminal building that had been constructed on the site in 1970.[10] This included the addition of a new Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) screening area, a secure side departure lounge, accessible washroom facilities, expanded self-serve retail, new fiber-optic communication infrastructure, and extensive mechanical and energy efficiency improvements.[20] Phase three joined phase one (new terminal) and phase two (redeveloped existing terminal) within a 12-hour timeframe.[10] The airport remained open and fully functional throughout the entire construction process.[10]

The new Brandon Airport terminal building was officially opened to the public on May 10, 2017.[21] [22]

Other facilities

Brandon Flight Centre FBO maintains aircraft hangar facilities at Brandon Municipal Airport and provides aviation fuel, aircraft deicing, and other aviation services 24-hours.[23] Maple Leaf Aviation Ltd provides aircraft maintenance and aviation services and also maintains aircraft hangar facilities at the airport.[24]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Ground transportation

Car

Brandon Municipal Airport is accessible by car from Manitoba Highway 10, approximately north of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Car rental services provided by Enterprise Rent-A-Car are available inside the terminal building.[25]

Taxi

Numerous Brandon taxicab companies provide 24-hour licensed taxi service at Brandon Airport, including wheelchair accessible units.

Shuttle

Brandon Air Shuttle provides shuttle service from Brandon Municipal Airport to Dauphin and other communities in Westman and Parkland regions. Daily shuttle service is available and must be pre-booked.[26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Airport Divestiture Status Report . tc.gc.ca . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150930005553/http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs/airports-status-menu-441.htm . 2015-09-30 .
  2. http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/prods_servs/metstat1_e.html Synoptic/Metstat Station Information
  3. Web site: Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report (TP 577): Table 2-2 — Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA flight service stations. statcan.gc.ca.
  4. Web site: Directions - Brandon Municipal Airport. airport.brandon.ca. 14 May 2013.
  5. Web site: Trading Area - Economic Development Brandon. 14 May 2013. economicdevelopmentbrandon.com.
  6. Web site: Border Clearance. Nov 6, 2021. airport.brandon.ca.
  7. Web site: Brandon, Manitoba, Canada - WestJet Destinations. westjet.com. Nov 6, 2021.
  8. Web site: Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum & RCAF WWII Memorial. 6 Nov 2021. airmuseum.ca.
  9. Web site: Airport History - Brandon Municipal Airport. airport.brandon.ca. 6 Nov 2021.
  10. Web site: Building History and Overview. airport.brandon.ca. 6 Nov 2021.
  11. http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1981 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Winnipeg flight schedules
  12. http://www.departedflights.com, April 28, 1985 Pacific Western Airlines system timetable
  13. Sept. 15, 1994 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Brandon & Winnipeg flight schedules
  14. http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Winnipeg flight schedules
  15. Web site: WestJet to launch service at Brandon airport. 14 May 2013. cbc.ca.
  16. Web site: WestJet adds limited-addition summer routes. February 22, 2016. February 22, 2016.
  17. Web site: Brandon Municipal Airport - Prairie Architects Inc.. prairiearchitects.ca.
  18. Web site: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - Brandon Municipal Airport. airport.brandon.ca.
  19. Web site: Brandon airport terminal to get major upgrades. 19 August 2014. cbc.ca.
  20. Web site: Eco Facts : Sustainable Features Summary. Prairie Architects Inc. 6 Nov 2021.
  21. Web site: New terminal fully open at Brandon Airport - CTV News Winnipeg. winnipeg.ctvnews.ca. 11 May 2017.
  22. Web site: New terminal now fully operational. westmanjournal.com. 2017-05-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20170521224054/http://www.westmanjournal.com/news/local-news/new-terminal-now-fully-operational-1.19959436. 2017-05-21. dead.
  23. Web site: Brandon Flight Centre - FBO. brandonflightcentre.com. 6 Nov 2021.
  24. Web site: Maple Leaf Aviation Ltd - Aviation Services. aircraftspeedmods.ca. 6 Nov 2021.
  25. Web site: Car Rental Brandon Municipal Airport (YBR) - Enterprise Rent-A-Car . enterprise.ca. February 12, 2019.
  26. Web site: Brandon Air Shuttle. brandonairshuttle.com. February 12, 2019.