Feds invest in Winnipeg Airport’s Cargo Capacity

(source: Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport)

The federal government has announced an investment of $30.4 million to increase air cargo capacity at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, an investment designed to move Canadian goods to international markets more efficiently.

The airport is a key transportation hub for central Canada, the Canadian North, and for Canada’s international trade flows.

The construction of a 13,000 square-metre cargo logistics facility will include space for cold storage and perishable commodities, live animal handling, expanded air cargo capacity, and additional space for aircraft.

This will benefit producers in multiple industries, particularly e-commerce, agricultural livestock, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and aerospace, which require the specialized storage space it will provide.

It will also improve the efficiency and affordability of air resupply out of Winnipeg for remote and Northern communities.

The project, financed jointly by the Government of Canada and the Winnipeg Airports Authority, will offer additional export capacity for commodities that would otherwise be exported via U.S. transportation hubs. The project will also improve accessibility and affordability of goods in Canadian remote and Northern communities.

This project will strengthen the safety and sustainability of the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, which is part of the National Airports System. The 26 airports in the National Airports System serve about 95 percent of all scheduled passenger and cargo traffic in Canada, and handle almost all of Canada’s international trade flows by air.