Edmonton International Airport to hike passenger fees

Passengers flying from the Edmonton International Airport will have to hand over a little more cash in airport fees next year.

Airport improvement fees are going up $5, for a total of $30 per departing passenger.

To compare, this would make the EIA fees $5 more than what is charged at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, and $10 more than in Vancouver’s Airport Authority.

The new fee will go into effect on tickets purchased on or after February Feb. 1, 2014 for travel dates after July 1, 2014.

Improvement fees are intended to help offset costs of airport infrastructure, including runway improvements and new facility construction.

“As the fastest-growing major airport in Canada over the last 10 years, this increase will help fund the growth and maintenance capital plans that we need to reach our target of 10 million passengers per year by 2020,” said Reg Milley, president and CEO of Edmonton Airports, in a release on Wednesday.

Revenue from the increased fees will go towards adding a third runway at EIA, and also to infrastructure designed to better accommodate the airport’s growing number of passengers.

“In 2004, we were just over 4 million – 4.4 million that year – and we’re looking at a few years from now, being 10 million. That is massive growth that we’re looking at,” said EIA spokeswoman Heather Hamilton.  

“So it’s just planning ahead for some of the projects that are going to be needed to accommodate that.”

The fees will only be collected from departing passengers.