2011 a record-breaker for St. John's airport
Airport received 400,000 more people than the one million it was designed to handle annually
More people travelled through the St. John's International Airport last year than any previous year.
A record-breaking 1,400,000 passengers passed through the St. John's airport in 2011, about 100,000 more than the number of people who went through the airport in 2010.
Airport manager and CEO Keith Collins said the facility, which was designed to handle about one million people annually, has seen continued growth at a time when air travel in other parts of Atlantic Canada is down by as much as one third.
"It's a fabulous problem to have because it just speaks so well of the strength of the economy and how it's grown," he said.
Collins said all types of travel – business travel, tourism and local interest in travelling abroad – are up.
He said the increase has been fuelled by the competitive fares some airlines are offering.