Our Speaker, Bob Sartor

Posted on Apr 16, 2019
 
Terry McMahon
Introduces Our Speaker
 
 
 
Our Speaker, Bob Sartor
 
 
 
Bev Blair Thanks Our Speaker

 

Terry McMahon introduced speaker Bob Sartor, President & CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority. Mr. Sartor began his presentation by describing how the world's great airports reflect their cities. He expanded on this point by saying the airport authority is working to instill the idea that it is in the hospitality industry, and that air travellers should be made to feel like guests in its "house".
 
Mr. Sartor went on to say that when he took over as head of the airport authority he found that relationships with key airline partners had been badly frayed, chiefly owing to a number of problems arising during the development of the new international terminal. Since assuming the reins of the airport authority, he has worked to restore the trust of its partners. As a result of these efforts, WestJet chose Calgary as the location for a massive new hangar to serve as the primary home of its 787 Dreamliner fleet.
 
Mr. Sartor told the club that 2018 was a record year for the Calgary Airport Authority, which in addition to the Calgary International Airport, also operates the Springbank Airport. Many people do not know that the airport authority operates as a not-for-profit that returns revenues to the city. Its mandate is defined by Alberta's Regional Airports Authorities Act, which requires it to operate the two airports safely and efficiently, and advance economic and community development through a vibrant and expanding aviation industry.
 
The airport authority is one of the largest revenue generators for the city, and contributes significantly to the local economy. The numbers tell the story.
  • YYC contributes $8 billion to the city's GDP.
  • More than 24,000 people are employed on the YYC campus.
  • 50,000 jobs in Calgary are tied to YYC.
  • 17.3 million guests used the airport in 2018.
  • 146,000 tons of cargo were shipped through the airport in 2018.
Airlines are responding to the airport's focus on the guest experience with their own expansion plans. WestJet has announced the following new services.
  • With its new hangar, YYC is set to become WestJet's 787 Dreamliner hub, and is launching Dreamliner service to Dublin, Paris and Gatwick.
  • Its US expansion continues, with new flights to Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX and Portland, OR.
Air Canada now flies to London, ON, is bringing back its seasonal service to Tokyo, and is up-gauging its aircraft to serve more guests.
The airport authority's efforts are best seen in its thematic plan, which is focused on creating a sense of place for YYC guests.
Bev Blair thanked Bob Sartor for his presentation.