Air Canada has broken the ground for its new facility at Edmonton International Airport, housing ground support equipment services and cargo teams.

Terracap Group will construct the 50,000 square foot building, with the ground support team occupying 30,000 square feet and Air Canada Cargo utilising the other 20,000 square feet.

The facility is expected to open in September 2019, with Air Canada signing a 15-year lease, representing an investment of $19 million over the term of the lease.

Air Canada senior vice president for regional markets and government relations, Kevin Howlett says: “Air Canada Cargo has significant business in Alberta and Western Canada, and with air freight and logistics being a rapidly growing sector, we have a strong focus on infrastructure improvement across our network.  Our goal is to provide world-class service and a brand-new facility goes a long way in creating an enhanced experience for our customers and for our employees.”

The facilities for cargo will enable integration of technology infrastructure and enhanced space usage and enhanced space usage for the optimal flow of goods.

In 2017, Air Canada Cargo handled 3.2 million kilos of goods including pharmaceuticals, mail, art, and oil and gas industry equipment through its Edmonton facility.

Terracap Group of Companies president and CEO, Larry Krauss says: “The Terracap Group of Companies prides itself on its relationship with great tenants, so we are more than fortunate to be able to construct a new state-of-the-art building for Air Canada.

“The airline has been such an integral part of the airline industry in Canada, so we are very proud to be a part of such a great initiative at the Edmonton International Airport and look forward to building on the relationship with Air Canada and the team at the Edmonton International Airport.”