John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport
nativename = Hamilton Airport


image-width =
caption =
IATA = YHM
ICAO = CYHM
type = Public
owner = City of Hamilton
operator = Tradeport International Corp.
city-served = Hamilton, Ontario
location =
elevation-f = 780
elevation-m = 238
coordinates = Coord|43|10|25|N|079|56|06|W|type:airport
website = [http://www.flyhi.ca/ www.flyhi.ca]
r1-number = 06/24
r1-length-f = 6,000
r1-length-m = 1,829
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 12/30
r2-length-f = 10,000
r2-length-m = 3,048
r2-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2007
stat1-header = Aircraft Movements
stat1-data = 70,794
footnotes = Sources: Canada Flight SupplementCFS]
Statistics from Transport Canada. [http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/EN/Report/TP577/pdf/TP577_07.pdf Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report 2007] ]

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, Airport codes|YHM|CYHM, is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John Munro, a Hamilton Member of Parliament and cabinet minister.

The airport is designed for use by large airplanes on overseas flights, and includes a 10,000x200 ft. (3,050x60 m) paved runway with centreline lighting for low-visibility operations, as well as a smaller 6,000x150 ft (1,830x45 m) paved runway. In late 2007 Trade Port Co. and Citi Corp bought land off of the City of Hamilton to expand runway 06/24 to 9,000ft. This is expected to happen sometime in 2009. It serves as an alternate and reliever for nearby Toronto Pearson International Airport.

In 2000 WestJet expanded to Canada's eastern region, choosing Hamilton as the airline's eastern region hub, and flying to destinations from Newfoundland to British Columbia. In April, 2004, WestJet moved its eastern hub from Hamilton to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga. While Hamilton retained flights to many destinations, all of the service between Hamilton and Montreal and Ottawa was moved to Toronto. In the wake of the WestJet pullout, CanJet began service to Hamilton in 2003. Then in the spring of 2005, two weeks after Air Canada Jazz announced it would enter the local market with service from Hamilton to Montreal and Ottawa, Canjet announced a complete departure from Hamilton.

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 250 passengers, however they can handle up to 450 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.

The airport also hosts the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

Flyglobespan, which commenced operations from Hamilton in May 2007, are referring to the airport as "Toronto Hamilton International Airport". [http://www.flyglobespan.com/YHMflights.asp Globespan flights to Hamilton] ]

The airport received notoriety when a chartered Boeing 707 carrying rock band Bon Jovi skidded off the runway in January, 2006.In some cases for cargo Hamilton may receive a An 124 Ruslan or a Boeing 747 for larger cargo reasons.The most common of those aircraft is the An 124 Ruslan

Due to high fuel prices, Air Canada Jazz departed Hamilton airport on July 31, 2008 [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080619.RAIRCAN19/TPStory/Business globeandmail.com: Business ] ] .

History

The airport was originally built in 1940 as the "Mount Hope Airport", a Royal Canadian Air Force base. During World War II, the field hosted two units for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan: first, No.10 Elementary Flying Training School (later moved to RCAF Station Pendleton) using the De Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch, then No.33 Air Navigation School using the Avro Anson. After the war, the airport gradually shifted towards civil use, until the military ceased using it as a base for Air Reserve operations in 1964.

Hamilton turned over operation of the airport to "TradePort International Corp." in 1996. In 2007 YVR Airport Services (YVRAS), which runs the Vancouver International Airport, took over 100 per cent ownership of TradePort in a $13-million deal.If GTAA decides not to build the proposed Pickering Airport Hamilton would have a jump in passenger traffic and possibly new airlines it would be the airport to relieve strain off of Pearson which Pickering was intended for.

Airlines and destinations

* Transat holidays Flights operated by WestJet (Cancun, Punta Cana) [seasonal]
* Flyglobespan (Belfast-International, Cardiff [starts 07 June 2009] , Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK))
* Sunwing Airlines (Punta Cana, Varadero)
* WestJet (Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Moncton, Orlando [seasonal] , Winnipeg) [ [http://c3dsp.westjet.com/guest/destinations/ourDestinations.jsp WestJet - Our Destinations ] ]

Cargo operators

* Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter
* Cargojet Airways
* United Parcel Service (UPS)

Flight schools and charter

* Peninsulair Limited
* Jetport [ [http://www.jetport.com Jetport] ]

ee also

*RCAF Station Hamilton

References

External links

* [http://www.flyhi.ca/index.shtml Hamilton International Airport website]
* [http://www.copanational.org/PlacesToFly/airport_view.php?pr_id=1&ap_id=238 Canadian Owners & Pilots Association's Airport Directory]