Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR, ICAO: CYVR) is an international airport located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, serving the city of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland region. It is located 12 km (7.5 mi) from Downtown Vancouver. YVR is the second busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic (26.2 million), behind Toronto Pearson International Airport in Ontario. As a trans-Pacific hub, the airport has more direct flights to China than any other airport in North America or Europe. It is a hub for Air Canada and WestJet. Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian airports that have US Border Pre-clearance facilities. It is also one of the few major international airports to have a terminal for scheduled float planes.
The airport has won several notable international best airport awards. It won the SkyTrax Best North American Airport award in 2007 and 2010 through 2022, for a record of 12 consecutive years. The airport also made the top 10 list of airports in the world for the first time in 2012, rated at 9th (2012), 8th (2013), and 9th (2014) overall. It is the only North American airport included in the top 10 for 2013 and 2014. YVR also retains the distinction of Best Canadian Airport in the regional results.
Vancouver International airport is managed by Vancouver Airport Authority, a non-profit organization.
YVR covers a total expanse of about 1,340 hectares (3,311 acres) of airport property.
In 1929, the City of Vancouver purchased land located on Sea Island to be used for aviation purposes, replacing the original grass airstrip at Minoru Park on Lulu Island. During World War II, the airport and its original terminal, now the South Terminal, were leased to the federal government and operated by the Department of National Defence and the Department of Transport as RCAF Station Sea Island. The airport was used for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The crews and their families were housed in a new town-site on the island, named Burkeville, after Boeing president Stanley Burke. Funds from the lease were used to purchase additional land for new hangars and a production plant for Boeing Aircraft of Canada (now Boeing Canada).
The present main terminal was completed in 1968 and has since been expanded to include separate domestic and international terminals. A north runway was completed in 1996.
A United States border pre-clearance facility was created in the 1970s, and as of 2024 has the largest operating hours of any US pre-clearance facility, operating from 4:30 AM to midnight the next day.
In 2011, the airport announced that it would enact a program aiming to encourage airlines to start more flights between Vancouver and Asia. As of 2022, the program has succeeded in many of its goals.
The airport has often been described as a major trans-Pacific hub due to its location in the Pacific Northwest and destinations in the Americas, Asia, and Australia, which help facilitate connecting flights. In 2019, Craig Richmond, then President and CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority, said that the recent growth of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in the United States could challenge Vancouver's status as a trans-Pacific hub, although Seattle/Tacoma is already the larger airport.
Vancouver International Airport has two terminals: the Main Terminal and the South Terminal. The main terminal contains domestic and international concourses. Free internet access is available in all sections of the airport. Throughout the airport, there is trilingual English, French, and Chinese signage. The South Terminal, along with the adjacent floatplane docks, is referred to by airport management as "Airport South.".
The Domestic section of the terminal was constructed in 1968 by the Vancouver-based firm Thompson, Berwick and Pratt and was given a top-to-bottom renovation in 2005 by Vancouver architect Kasian Kennedy. The Domestic area consists of three piers (A-C).
Pier A consists of six gates: A6 through A10 and A12. These gates are ground loading ramps used by WestJet Encore.
Pier B consists of 15 gates: gates B13 through B27. Gates B14 to B17 can receive international and US arrivals. Gate B23 to B25 are ground loading ramps. Pier B is the hub for domestic flights for WestJet, and additionally serves domestic flights by Air North, Air Transat, Flair Airlines and Porter Airlines.
Pier C consists of 24 gates: C29 through C52. This is the hub for Air Canada and Air Canada Express domestic flights. Gates C48 to C52 are swing gates, which can be used for international departures (designated as D48 to D52) as well as international and US arrivals.
The International concourse was designed by Vancouver-based Architectura, now Stantec, with Kansas City–based HNTB Corporation (1994–1996). It was expanded to the west between 2017 and 2021 to allow for more gates and more remote stand operations. YVR is one of eight Canadian airports with United States border preclearance facilities, which are situated in this section of the terminal. All international concourse gates can accept flights arriving from international and U.S. origins; passengers are directed onto overhead walkways which lead to the Canada Border Services Agency screening area.
Pier D consists of 31 gates: D48 to D78, of which 7 (D56, D57, D59, D60, D61, D63, and D65) are bus gates for remote stands. All international-bound flights, excluding those to the United States, depart from D gates. All gates can handle wide-body aircraft; 11 gates are fitted with 2 jet bridges, and four of these gates can handle the Airbus A380, a service of which was seasonally operated to Vancouver by British Airways until September 26, 2022. Gates D48 to D52 are swing gates which can be used for domestic departures (designated C48 to C52), and gates D71 through D78 are swing gates which can be used for United States border preclearance flights (designated E71 through E78).
A SkyTeam airport lounge operated by Global Lounge Network is located near gate D53 and the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is at Gate D52.
Preclearance was added to the airport in the 1970s.
Pier E is the US border preclearance area and consists of 25 gates: E71 to E88 and E90 to E96. Gates E71 to E78 are swing gates which can be used switched to international departures (as gates D71 to D78) as needed. Gate E84 is a bus gate for remote stands. Gates E90-E96 are located in a smaller satellite building connected via a ground-level walkway. Gate E95 accesses ground-loading stands 95A and 95B.
Flights from an international origin continuing on to the US after a stopover in Vancouver (none of which currently operate) do not use the preclearance facility and must use D gates.
The Airport South complex includes the South Terminal, the Floatplane Facility, and other adjacent operations.
The South Terminal, a portion of the original pre-1968 terminal which is still in use, also houses the corporate headquarters and main base of Pacific Coastal Airlines and Harbour Air.
The South Terminal serves regional airlines which fly mostly within British Columbia, such as Pacific Coastal Airlines and Central Mountain Air, in addition to chartered flights. A nearby building serves as the YVR terminal for Helijet.
The Vancouver International Water Airport (TC LID: CAM9) is located on Inglis Drive, a short distance from the South Terminal. This facility allows floatplanes to land and dock on the South Arm of the Fraser River. The facility is served by all floatplane operators other than Harbour Air, which maintains a separate dock and terminal at the Flying Beaver Bar and Grill nearby.
Vancouver International has seen a steady increase in passenger volumes from 2010 to 2019. Between 2020 and 2021, patronage dropped significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport has seen a steady recovery of passengers, however; the patronage in 2022 was about 72% of the patronage in 2019.
The airport has a station on the SkyTrain network called YVR–Airport, the terminus of the Sea Island branch of the Canada Line. The airport authority contributed $300 million towards construction as part of the Canada Line's funding. A pedestrian footbridge ($117 million, completed in 2007) links the international terminal with the domestic terminal and serves as the arrival and departure area for users of the Canada Line. The Canada Line itself opened in August 2009 as the third line of Vancouver's rapid transit network, in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics which took place the following February. It was the only airport rail link service of any kind in Canada until the opening of Toronto's Union Pearson Express in 2015.
When Canada Line service is interrupted, such as overnight or other service disruptions, the N10 night bus operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company (under contract to TransLink) connects the airport's international and domestic terminals to Richmond and downtown Vancouver. The airport's south terminal is served by the 412 bus, which connects to the Canada Line at Bridgeport Station. Between 2001 and the Canada Line's opening in 2009, regular bus service was provided by TransLink route 424.
YVR Skylynx is an official partner of YVR Vancouver Airport.
YVR Skylynx buses to Whistler run directly from YVR Vancouver Airport and Vancouver City Centre to Squamish, Creekside Village, and Whistler using up to 16 services a day. YVR Skylynx also operates daily services to Victoria from YVR Vancouver Airport via BC Ferries Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route.
In preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, YVR completed a $1.4-billion multi-year capital development plan, which included a four-gate expansion to the International Terminal Wing, completed in June 2007. Two of the four new gates are conventional wide-bodied gates and two can accommodate the Airbus A380. The international terminal addition includes interior design elements intended to represent British Columbia, including a stream in a pathway and fish and jellyfish tanks.
A five-gate expansion was completed in 2009 for Domestic Terminal's C-Pier. Food and retail expansions were also completed for the C Pier at this time. The train that links downtown Vancouver, YVR, and central Richmond opened in August 2009.
Vancouver International Airport Authority has developed a 2017–2037 Master Plan, named Flight Plan 2037 which includes 75 projects at a projected cost of $5.6 billion. The plan allows for the airport to serve 35 million passengers by 2037. The plan is calling for the expansion of facilities around the existing large terminal. New piers and gates are to be added, as well as a second parking garage and taxiways. It is also planned to improve vehicle access. Eight gates were added to the international terminal in the first phase which was completed in February 2021. Final approval of the plan by the Ministry of Transport is needed.
YVR's interior has a uniquely British Columbian theme, featuring an extensive collection of Pacific Northwest Coast Native art, and blues and greens to reflect the colours of the land, sea, and sky. This theme was designed by Vancouver-based firm Architectura. The airport uses a great deal of carpet and vast expanses of glass to let in large amounts of natural light. One of the most noticeable places for an arriving passenger is the international arrivals hall, a large area where customs and immigration procedures are completed. Arriving passengers come down escalators leading to a platform across a large waterfall.
In 2020, the expansion of International Pier D was completed with a glassed-in island forest with access to the outdoors and an immersive digital experience that explores the rugged British Columbia Coast.
The YVR aboriginal art collection includes wooden sculptures and totem poles. Bill Reid's sculpture in bronze, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe, is displayed in the international departures area. This is the second of two castings of this sculpture; the first casting, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Black Canoe, is now displayed outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The Pacific Passage area includes artwork by Stan Wamiss and Connie Watts. The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at Vancouver International Airport.
Since 1992, Vancouver Airport Authority has been working with an independent accessibility consultant to eliminate the physical barriers in the built environment and is "committed to providing fully accessible terminal facilities for people of all backgrounds and capabilities".
In 2004, the airport received the Rick Hansen Accessibility Award, which recognizes "facilities and communities that improve the quality of life for people with mobility limitations".
Designated short-term parking spaces and curb-side ramps are available on each level of the terminal building for vehicles displaying a valid SPARC permit. Accessible counters with toe clearance for wheelchair users are also available at the check-in, customer care, and retail area in Vancouver Airport. Bathrooms have also been designed to be wheelchair-accessible with doorless and no-touch entry features, lowered sinks, and hands-free bathroom dispensers. Grab bars and emergency call buttons are also present in all wheelchair-accessible toilet stalls.
Low resistance carpeting and other materials such as laminate flooring have been utilized throughout the airport to make it easier for people using wheelchairs and walkers to move throughout the airport. Elevators are large and allow for easy turning in a wheelchair and special wheelchairs designed to fit down aircraft aisles are utilized to assist with boarding and de-planing. Wheelchair lifts have been installed at aircraft gates.
"Visual pagers" are dedicated video monitors that are located throughout the airport and convey important information to travelers who have hearing impairments.
Various types of flooring are utilized throughout the terminal and function as a textured guide to assist travelers in identifying their location within the airport. In areas with tile, patterns in the tile help to identify exits. Tactile maps are also available at customer service counters throughout the airport, and braille and tactile lettering are used throughout the airport to indicate building features such as washrooms.
Vancouver Airport Authority was one of the first airports in North America to institute a volunteer program in 1989. Volunteers in a green vest/jacket are deployed around the airport to provide information, customer service and be the 'eyes and ears' for the various partners in the airport community between the hours of 6 am to 10 pm every day. Volunteers are given basic training in airport operations and undertake many of the similar trainings mandated to airport employees. Each volunteer is required to obtain a Transportation Security Clearance and Restricted Area Identification Card to access the restricted and sterile areas of the terminal.
YVR Sustainability is an operations department at Vancouver International Airport that is concerned with airport green initiatives. It focuses on green initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the airport's operations. YVR's sustainability is also known for its green art linked to the environment and community and its indoor nature displays.
YVR's Vancouver Airport Services created an energy reduction committee in 1999 to create new energy-reducing initiatives, including improved efficiency of baggage conveyor belts to shut down conveyors when no bags are present; installing carbon dioxide sensors to adjust HVAC systems to the number of people in an area; and regulating electrical power for flight information display monitors when no flights are scheduled. In 2005, the committee installed LED lighting on several taxiways and more efficient, brighter lights on Levels 2 and 3 of the car parking structure, upgrades to the chilled water distribution system, and replacement of all Airport Authority computer equipment with newer, more efficient models." The building and lighting system are designed to utilize as much daylight as possible so that it is the primary lighting source. The Committee claims to have saved more than 24 gigawatt hours of electricity and $5.5 million since the team's creation.
In 2015, the airport set a goal for 50% of the ground support equipment to run on electric power by the year 2020. This goal was achieved early, as by late 2019, 53% of these machines operated on electric power. The airport installed 50 charging stations to support this operation. The airport also has a comprehensive fleet management plan, to ensure that ground support equipment operators maintain and electrify the fleet of the right size. They also have eight battery electric apron buses to support the operation of aircraft on remote stands separate from the terminal building.
The solar-powered hot water systems were installed in the airport's Domestic and International terminals in 2003. The 100 solar panels were placed on the roof of the YVR building and will heat more than 800 gallons of water each hour. This has resulted in approximately $110,000 and 8569 gigajoules saved each year. The project was partly funded by BC Hydro working with the Vancouver International Airport Authority to reduce energy consumption and costs at YVR. YVR also uses nightly energy set backs, carbon dioxide sensors, and improved scheduling and system tune-ups since 2001 which has led to a decrease of 25 per cent in natural gas usage.
YVR has 100 hybrid and natural gas-operated taxis hired to pick up and drop off passengers. The Airport Authority created a program in 2004 that gave incentive for alternative fuel taxis and was successful by improving the average fleet fuel economy by 47% by 2009. YVR has 450 recycling containers evenly distributed and located around its terminals, divided for recycling plastic and paper. The containers themselves are made from recycled aluminum, steel and plastic and help recycle over 1,250,000 kg of material each year.
In June 2009, YVR had a green wall installed by the Canada Line YVR–Airport Station and can best be viewed from the International Departures terminal on Level 3 and from the International Arrivals terminal on Level 2. This is the first Canadian airport with a living green wall and the largest in North America. The green wall measures "18-metres high and 12 -metres wide and is home to 28,249 individual plants on 2,173 panels and houses a built-in irrigation and feeding system." The plants it consists of are Euonymus japonicus microphyllus, Euonymus japonicus albovariegatus microphyllus, Polypodium glycyrrhiza, and Ophiopogon japonicus nanus. Benefits of a green wall on the building include improving air quality, reducing noise pollution (the green wall is located near the Sky Train), cooling the area down and saving on energy costs, and decreases carbon dioxide emissions in the environment. YVR includes other environmental indoor installations such as its indoor garden, aquarium, and a freshwater creek. The 30,000 gallon salt water aquarium at YVR is home to about 850 samples of British Columbia marine life. There is also a 750 gallon jellyfish tank and a 60-metre long fresh water creek located nearby.
The YVR Fuel project plans to build an underground pipeline and upgrade an airport fuel terminal near the Fraser River. In 2014, the YVR Fuel Project was granted approval with 64 conditions. An information bulletin posted by the Ministry of Environment of British Columbia announced that the project is "not expected to result in any significant adverse effects, based on the mitigation measures and conditions of the Environmental Assessment Certificate." Nonetheless, the YVR Airport Fuel Facilities will have to carry out the project in accordance to the conditions made by the Environmental Assessment Office. Key conditions deal with spill and fire prevention, preparedness and response, cleaning, inspection, dealing with pollution liabilities, environmental remediation, and compensating for Aboriginal loss under the Fisheries Act. Marine pilots will have to be specially trained for the river's environment, tankers double-hulled, pre-screened and each boat will have to have two tugs. The reason for the YVR fuel upgrade is because the Fuel Facilities Corp. states the current fuel-delivery system is not sustainable and too dependent on an older pipeline coming from Burnaby, British Columbia and shipments from Washington state. With its own fuel, YVR will have more room and independence to welcome new flights and airlines.
The Vancouver International Airport Security submitted a 2009-2013 Noise Management Plan to the Canadian Ministry of Transport in August 2013 which was reviewed and approved. This Management Plan included initiatives to help with noise complaints that YVR Security had received. A total of 16 initiatives were identified and are outlined in the Noise Management Plan. The plan is flexible and allows room for new community issues that may arise within the five-year program. The plan's main goal is to balance the needs of having 24-hour airport services while minimizing noise disturbances associated with aircraft services for those living nearby.
Following the September 11 attacks, the airspace over the United States was shut down. Aircraft over the North Atlantic and Pacific bound for the United States were therefore diverted to Canadian airports. Vancouver International Airport accommodated 34 of these flights (3rd highest after Halifax and Gander) amounting to a total of 8,500 passengers.
The airport won the 2001 Airport Management Award from the B.C. Aviation Council and was cited for overcoming many challenges in a professional and compassionate way.
YVR Fire & Rescue is the primary fire service at the airport, responding to aircraft emergencies as well as medical and environmental emergencies on airport property. The airport fire station has seven Oshkosh Striker ARFF crash trucks, a Pierce Arrow XT Engine, and an F-550 medical truck that are owned by the Vancouver Airport Authority. Richmond Fire has additional resources when required from Richmond Fire Hall #4 (Sea Island) at 3900 Russ Baker Way, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard.
Policing at the airport is provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Richmond detachment. Airport emergency health services are provided by the British Columbia Ambulance Service, with Station 270 providing a dedicated bike squad for rapid EMS response to passengers and staff. In addition, BCAS air ambulance Station 280 is located near the YVR South Terminal, providing air ambulance service with two Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, two Beechcraft Super King Air turboprop aircraft, and one Cessna Citation Bravo jet.