new arrivals bold departures

P
2006
will be remembered as a watershed year in the evolution of HIAA.
It’s difficult to overstate the milestones we achieved during those 12 months.
It was an energetic year: we introduced new technology
and services, completed a $90 million
infrastructure expansion that opened new growth
opportunities, and solidified our long-term financing.
The upshot: six years after taking over operation
of Halifax Stanfield International Airport (HSIA),
HIAA has truly arrived. Now we’re ready to move in
a bold new direction and show the world what the
airport of the 21st century can be.
In so many ways, 2006 was an historic one for
HIAA. On October 4, our new U.S. preclearance
facility – the first such facility launched in North
America since 9/11 – opened after years of intensive
work and negotiations. Halifax has now joined an
elite group of major airports: non-stop U.S.-bound
passengers can check in, be cleared by U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, then board a plane and arrive
at their U.S. destination as domestic passengers. That
makes for easier connections and gives passengers
access to more U.S. airports.
Our connections with the world improved in
other ways too: our established carriers added flights
and new carriers came on board. Clearly CanJet
Airlines’ decision to end scheduled air service was
unforeseen, but we quickly regained our balance.
In 2006, HSIA served almost 3.4 million passengers,
a new record. A study conducted in 2006 concluded
that the airport community injected $1.15 billion
into the provincial economy in 2005. HIAA’s inaugural
bond issue – which gave us $150 million to
pursue our capital plans over the next several years
– is another sign of our fiscal strength.
Having a solid financial foundation is a critical
building block for any corporate entity. So, I’m happy
to say that in 2006 HIAA reported an excess of
revenues over expenses of $10.5 million.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chose to
visit Halifax and made a special stop at the airport
to personally thank our people and our partners for
their remarkable outpouring of help and hope, on
the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
We strengthened the core of our corporate culture:
we’re in the service business; our ultimate goal is to
make every moment passengers spend within our
building fresh and engaging. We already do a good
job in this regard, receiving two first-place awards
in the 2006 Airport Service Quality survey, a global
customer service ranking program that rates 90 of
the world’s airports.
Awards like these confirm we’re on the right track.
Yet, we’re determined to do even more to provide
passengers with exceptional service. That’s why we
introduced a broad range of technological improvements
to make life easier for travellers and help the
airport run even more smoothly. In 2006, we started
designing a proposed 2300-space parking facility
and moved forward in the planning for a potential
175-room hotel. We also commissioned a study to
ask passengers, employees, our tenants, and local
residents what new services they’d like to see.
That process demonstrates something else about
HIAA: our commitment to listen to and work
with our partners – whether tenants, airlines,
stakeholders, different levels of government, or
the neighbouring community.
I encourage you to have a look at the names on
the inside front cover of this report; they’re the people
of HIAA – vibrant and committed. I want to thank
every one of them for their efforts in 2006. It takes
a lot of people working together to chart the bold new
course we have set for ourselves. As far as we’re
concerned, the question is no longer: what is an
airport? We believe it is: what can an airport be? We’re
confident we have created a solid foundation for the
future, as we work to build the best airport in the world.
Eleanor Humphries
president & ceo
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