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Air cargo meeting briefed on $2 million airport upgrade

Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp. is planning $2 million in improvements over the next year, a meeting about air cargo was told yesterday.
Russia

Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp. is planning $2 million in improvements over the next year, a meeting about air cargo was told yesterday.

As Alexander Konovaltsev, first vice-mayor of Krasnoyarsk, and Inna Dozortseva, deputy-head of Krasnoyarsk's international relations department, listened (both shown above), airport president Jerry Dolcetti told the meeting that the new work will be done on the concrete apron next to the terminal building.

The apron is made of massive 25-foot-square slabs, and Airport Manager Brenda Calce told SooToday.com that the work will involve selective replacement of slabs.

The airport has applied for federal funding that would cover 85 percent of the project, which airport officials wish to complete this summer.

The last major construction at the Sault Aiport was the $4 million main runway resurfacing completed last summer.

Air cargo prospects

Until now, Sault Ste. Marie Airport has been almost exclusively a passenger facility, but yesterday's meeting was called to discuss the prospects for air cargo business.

The City's Industrial Marketing Strategy Global Committee has concluded there's no basis to recommend establishing a transpolar hub here.

Instead the City has hired a sector specialist to pursue air cargo and other business that can be attracted without the millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements needed to support Transpolar.

The specialist is currently preparing information packages for 64 companies identified as prospects in the aviation and aircraft sectors.

'An opportunity for everyone in this room'

However, Douglas Mein, assocate director of Transport Canada's safety and security branch, yesterday encouraged the Sault to hold onto its transpolar vision.

Mein, who was Canada's representative on an international committee that drafted the existing transpolar air carrier routes, said that transpolar air cargo offers "an opportunity for everyone in this room."

Mein identifed eight cities he believes the Sault should pursue: Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Manilla, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei.

Of those cities, only Hong Kong and Seoul are currently involved in any way with transpolar cargo, he said.

Infrastructure not needed

Mein told yesterday's meeting that $20 million to $40 million in infrastructure improvements isn't necessary to start taking advantage of transpolar opportunities.

An Ilyushin 76 aircraft is capable of landing in both Sault Ste. Marie and Russia, he told the meeting.

Alexander Konovaltsev, first vice-mayor of Krasnoyarsk, said that his City is presently able to handle any kind of aircraft without runway extensions, but a new building would be needed to handle transpolar cargo.

"We would like to work on this project and to continue in this direction," Konovaltsev said,

"I hope that together we can promote this project," he added.

Local officials less enthusiastic

However, Sault Ste. Marie-based particpants were less enthusiastic about proceeding immediately with transpolar.

Jerry Dolcetti, president of Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp., talked about developing one part of the airport for warehousing and aircraft servicing.

Extending the runways to allow transpolar traffic, Dolcetti said, is not a current priority.

"We're not looking at extending the runway at this point in time," he said. "There's no business case .... We really have to be very cautious."


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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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