At our September 14 luncheon meeting hosted at the Radisson Hotel, SEBA members enjoyed a fast-paced and informative update on the airport expansion from EIA’s Carmen Donnelly, Manager of Concessions Development.

SEBA learned that EIA’s buildout is nothing short of world class. Enhancing the seemingly perpetual redevelopment of “our airport”, the next twelve months will see the progressive unveiling of an ambitious $1B expansion, featuring a space-age control/ office tower, an aircraft apron the size of 35 football fields, expanded passenger lounges, additional gates, and a plethora of exciting new retailers and restaurants. The travelling experience will be enhanced by art and interior design planned around local themes, reflecting SEBA-friendly Whyte Avenue and the River Valley.

Building on the current expansion, the EIA looks forward to the addition of a swanky Courtyard by Marriott hotel, further commercial development along the QE II corridor, and the growth of the Port Alberta initiative. And so it is a final goodbye to the 1960s look and hello to “hammerheads”, “nodes”, moving sidewalks, and a multistory “living wall”!

With over five thousand employees and an annual passenger load climbing well over six million, Edmonton International really is “more flights to more places”. Additional information is available on the EIA website: www.flyeia.com.