By Lisa Gordon | April 1, 2013 Estimated reading time 10 minutes, 56 seconds.
As far as airports go, Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport (CYND) is certainly one of Canada’s youngest. Opened in 1979, the airport served regional aviation interests in the Gatineau region under the guidance of the Société d’aménagement de l’Outaouais, an organization dedicated to promoting local economic growth until its demise in 1991. The city of Gatineau then purchased the airport for one dollar, but did little to promote the facility. It languished for more than a decade until 2002, when a wave of municipal amalgamation formed the new city of Gatineau.
In 2004, the city committed $2.7 million to the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport, a welcome sum that was used to construct a 16,000-square-foot hangar in 2006 and to complete other infrastructure improvements, including fuel tank replacements. A new taxiway was also built for anchor tenant Vintage Wings of Canada, the charitable aviation museum that is headquartered at CYND, but showcases its impressive collection of historical aircraft at air shows and aviation events across Canada and the U.S.
At the time, it was understood that the airport needed some investment in order to contribute to the economic development of the area, explained Gaston Cloutier, director general of the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport.
Cloutier came on board to manage the airport in late 2010, after spending more than four decades with the Royal Canadian Air Force, retiring as a Brigadier General. He had volunteered on the airport board for a couple of years, and when the director general job came up, Cloutier figured it would be a great second career.
He told Canadian Skies in a recent interview that one of the big turning points for CYND came in 2008, when the facility was awarded a grant of $4.5 million under Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP).
We used that money to lengthen the runway to 6,000 feet by 150 feet wide, and completely resurfaced it. Also, the main ramp was resurfaced. It was the original surface from when the airport opened, so you can imagine it was a big improvement, said Cloutier. He added that in 2012, CYND received a further grant of $303,000 under the ACAP.
Along with Vintage Wings, which Cloutier says is a grand institution that has brought great visibility to the Gatineau airport, there are also three flying schools based at CYND (two fixed-wing and one helicopter). There are also two aircraft maintenance facilities, an FBO operated by the airport, and a restaurant on site.
We are in the process of welcoming an additional school whose clientele will be foreign students, added Cloutier. They are on site, but [at the time of writing] they have yet to go through their Transport Canada inspection.
Cloutier said the foreign students will be welcome at the airport. They’ll be training to be professional pilots. Each student will get about 220 hours in the air, so we’re talking about a high level of activity.
In 2011, Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport was the busiest uncontrolled airport in the country, among those with Nav Canada flight service stations. Its 49,467 aircraft movements in that year showed a sharp increase over 2007, when it was ranked 16th busiest with 31,225 movements.
A lot of the increased traffic is due to regularly scheduled service between Gatineau and Quebec City on regional carrier, Air Expresso, which operates 19-passenger BAE Jetstream 32 aircraft. The airline has been offering two scheduled flights every weekday to the Quebec capital city since 2003, catering to business people and staff from all three levels of government.
Cloutier said the airport also welcomes medevac flights and corporate aircraft. At present, no business jets are based at Gatineau-Ottawa, but the airport’s director general said it’s just a matter of time before corporate flight departments arrive to set up shop.
We’re trying to convince executive jets to come in here, he explained. Why? Most large North American cities have an international airport and a regional airport. My understanding is that Ottawa International (CYOW) is concentrating on large passenger aircraft. We’re saying to the business community: ˜Bring your executive jets to Gatineau. It will be less expensive; we have the room and the services, and you will be treated very well.’
To facilitate instrument approaches, airport management has requested a GPS LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) from Nav Canada. Cloutier said that equipment would reduce approach minimums from the current 409 feet and one-and-one-quarter mile visibility to 250 feet and three-quarter-mile visibility.
That is a world of difference; we are certainly hoping that Nav Canada will be able to provide that very important tool, he added. Gatineau is the fourth-largest city in Quebec with more than 280,000 people in the area. We have a 6,000-foot runway, but the approach aid is not in line with the population base.
The other tool we’re missing, and that we’re working very hard to get, is Canada Border Services Agency AOE 15 status [for customs clearance of unscheduled general aviation aircraft with up to 15 people on board]. That would be an important tool to attract executive jets.
In addition to developing a niche within the business aviation community, Cloutier and CYND’s six-member Board of Directors have a lofty vision when it comes to the airport’s future potential. Centrally located in the National Capital Region, within a 20-minute drive of downtown Ottawa or Gatineau – and in close proximity to government, as well as several aviation and aerospace headquarters and associations – CYND has a lot to offer.
When you put all of these factors together, I think the Gatineau airport is attractive, said Cloutier. In plain terms, we want to become part of the Montreal-area aeronautical corridor. Gatineau is only an hour and 20 minutes away from Mirabel on the new highway 50. We want to be able to attract industries directly or indirectly linked to the aerospace sector. What about building parts at the airport? Or establishing a training centre? Also, the airport is adjacent to an industrial park, so if a company was based there but needed airport access, it would be perfect. Perhaps we can attract R&D technologies or be involved in new fields of research.
Developing the regional mission of the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport is a top priority for airport management and the city of Gatineau. The airport’s two hangars are at capacity; however, Cloutier said discussions are underway with the city and the provincial and federal governments to build a multi-functional hangar that could be home to industries, schools, or any businesses linked to aviation and aerospace.
The airport also has something that many other airports don’t have, and that is an abundance of land available for development.
The Board of Directors is very conscious of the fact that we are a jewel, and we have great potential, said Cloutier. We often receive very positive comments about the airport and its proximity to Ottawa and Gatineau. We are very confident that this jewel will be fully developed one day; however, it’s going to take time.
In the meantime, Cloutier and the airport’s nine employees strive to keep the facility running smoothly. The biggest event on the calendar each year is the Wings Over Gatineau-Ottawa air show, a popular event organized by Vintage Wings. Last year, the two-day show attracted more than 30,000 spectators. The 2013 show is scheduled for Sept. 14-15.
Make no mistake about it: the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport is open for business. I am very excited because it’s real for me, said Cloutier enthusiastically. I can see the potential, and I can see one day where there will be industries at this airport. It’s going to take some time, but it’s going to happen.
